


In Smallville

by Rollele



Category: Red Robin (Comics), Young Justice (Comics)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:07:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25352134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rollele/pseuds/Rollele
Summary: After a one-night stand with Dick Grayson, Tim Drake-Wayne is notified of Conner Kent being the prime suspect in attempted murders of Pa and Ma Kent. The first clues seem to point Red Hood as the prime suspect, but as he continues his investigation, there seems to be a larger player pulling everyone's strings.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Tim Drake, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent
Comments: 11
Kudos: 40





	1. Break

“In Smallville, the gruesome discovery of Jonathan and Martha Kent shook the small town. They are known as parents of the writer for the Daily Planet, Clark Kent. Since then, prime suspect Conner Kent has been taken into custody by the Sheriff’s Department. We will update you more as this story progresses…” Her voice was dim, but the television’s blue light illuminated throughout the entire dark room. It reached the ceiling and towards the green blanket where two pairs of feet were tangled.

“Mm…” The voice from the television slowly began to draw him out of his sleep. His muscles at his shoulders tensed and strained as each word flowed from the news reporter’s lips. He blinked once then twice, turning his attention from the warmth of the bed towards it.

As he just arose from slumber, the blurred vision begun to focus the more he blinked. He could feel the warmth of the body beside of him as he shifted slightly while a groan escaped his lips, “Kon…?” He muttered. Finally, the confusion was beginning to be painted on his face as he rubbed his knuckle against his eye to try to rid of himself of the grogginess.

Meanwhile, at the bedside table, his phone buzzed. As he glanced toward it, it stopped. There were many messages and voicemails from Bart Allen and Cassandra Sandsmark. The disorientation continued for a moment longer, but as the memories began to flood in to who he was. Tim Drake-Wayne sat up a bit more. He ignored the warm arm around his naked waist for the time being.

Just as if on cue, Cassie’s name sparked up once more. Tim didn’t hesitate to slide over his finger to pick up, “Hello?”

“Tim, I don’t know what’s going on, but he didn’t do this.” It was her voice that held desperation. “Are you watching the news? Oh, by Hera, please tell me this isn’t happening!” Panic began to bleed into her tone.

“Yes, I just saw.” It was a half-lie, but he could recall what the newscaster said. “I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“Okay. Right. Okay.” It was a quick outburst of breath as her nerves settled.

“I just woke up. It was a long flight from San Francisco to Gotham. I’ll keep you updated. Do you mind passing this to Bart for me?”

“You’re on speaker, Tim.”

“Just… help him.” Bart’s voice finally chimed in.

“I will.” Tim said. He hung up the phone and proceeded to drop it on the nightstand. His azure irises moved towards the ceiling as the arm around him tightened. The heat continued to radiate warmth from next to him. He trailed his gaze as he took in the black hair and a worried facial expression. As lips opened, he interrupted, “I need to go, Dick.”

“Yeah.” It was a lone word that held a lot of packed emotions. The arm withdrew almost immediately after it was said. “What happened?”

Tim rose to gather his clothes from the floor, separating the blue from the red. He quickly begun to place them on his shoulders. “I… I don’t know what’s going on with Conner, but Bart and Cassie are worried.”

“Keep me updated.” As quick as it came, the tone was changed to one that the Batfamily knew well, “If you need anything, you know how to reach me.”

“Bruce must be on the case already. If you find out anything? Call me.” Tim fixed his clothes and was about to completely pull away before he was pulled in for a soft kiss. The response was automatic as his heart jumped, his cheeks dusted with a rose hue, and his lips pressed back with a soft touch.

“Stay safe.”

“I will. You too.”

* * *

“What do we know about the situation so far?” Tim’s voice echoed throughout the Red Robin nest at Crime Alley.

“We know that… it wasn’t Conner.” Cassie started, cautiously.

“We need to see who was with him at the time.” Bart had a facial voice of concern.

“I may be able to help with that.” Dick’s voice came from the shadows before a folder glimmered in the light. “I got a friend to give me the crime scene photos.” He laid it down before pinching the cover of it to reveal the contents.

The photographs of the crime scene looked as if someone had spilled blood as a painter would against a canvas. Signs of a struggle were the predominant key indicators that stood out. It depicted pure chaos.

“When police got there, they found Conner standing over them.” A small pause was before the last word.

“Bad place bad time.” Bart quickly interjected.

Cassie’s expression changed one of mixture of pain and worry, yet she kept her ground. Her hand reached upward to run her digits throughout the blonde locks.

“There’s something weird, though. There was a 911 call from the Kents place moments prior and it was at least two. They were just hangups.” Finally, Dick took a step back as his shoulders moved into a backward fashion.

“Then this was a set up.” Cassie voiced up, her breath slightly shook.

“We can’t jump to conclusions for sure, but there is something here that needs further investigation.” Dick interjected.

“Who else would…” Bart’s face winced, the emotional toll finally hit the speedster.

Meanwhile, Tim had scurried to look at every detail about the reports that were provided. Everything they needed had not been there, but it was obvious there were large portions of evidence small town police department were missing. “I need—” his voice was interrupted by the sound of a particular tone from his cellphone.

Without missing a beat, he held up the electronic device towards his ear. “Conner.” He answered, his voice hard and neutral.

“Tim,” there was a small voice of desperation that could be heard through the line, “Tim, I need you to do a favor for me.”

“I’ll get you out and find who’s responsible.”

“Not that. Just… Jon was with me. He’s here at the station. Could you please call Clark or Lois to get here? He’s… he’s in shock. He needs his parents, Tim. _Our_ parents.”

_Seems as if he’s not the only one._ Tim thought before he spoke once more, his tone a bit more gentle, “Okay. I’ll call them. And Conner… I was serious.”

“I know… you always have my back. I’ll always have yours. Just for the record… I **didn’t** do this.”

“We know.”

“We?”

“Cassie. Bart. … Dick.” Their gazes met before he forced himself to look towards another direction.

“Got it. I have to go. But…” Conner’s voice hushed, “Take care of Jon first.”

A click and a distinct noise alerted him of the call dropping before he placed the phone away. He turned back to three expectant faces before saying, “He’s fine. He says he didn’t do it and to call Clark and Lois about Jon being there.”

“I’ll go make the call.” Dick spoke up before disappearing onto another part of the nest.

“Where does this leave us?” Cassie questioned.

“Go back to the Titans. I’ll keep you both updated.” Tim said as he spread documents all over the table.

“Just like that? There has to be something you need us to do.” Bart’s eyes spoke of desperation and helplessness.

“I will.” Finally, he turned to look at him. “Right now I need to wait and make trips to go there. I’ll investigate every angle and I’ll have you on standby. I won’t do this alone. That’s a promise.”

“Will you try to keep us updated daily? Or…?” Her arms were across her chest.

“I can, but give me a few days. Anything new or that I need help with? I’ll have you on speed dial.” It was a slight attempt at humor that failed miserably.

“Okay.” Cassie’s head gave a small nod before her arms unfolded. “ _Anything_ you need, Tim. Don’t hesitate to ask.” Finally, she turned before giving a small squeeze to the speedster’s shoulder before walking away from the table.

The younger team member’s eyes looked hesitant with pain and wariness behind them. “You’ll catch this guy, right?”

“Yeah, Bart. I’ll try.” There a small rare and reassuring smile that flashed for a brief second.

“I’m counting on you.”

* * *

After they had left, Tim gotten debriefed of what had occurred. Now, it was almost one in the morning and the news reports continued on. He was laying on his couch, the possibilities of what occurred ran through his mind. There were endless possibilities and before he could think further, he knew there was a choice he had to make: He had to go to Smallville and see for himself.

His eyelids felt heavy while his fingers twitched toward the television remote. The thoughts of the night began to haunt his mind…

_A lock clicked from the front door and before long, their mouths were locked together in a passionate kiss. Tongues danced while their core temperatures rose. Four hands roamed each other’s bodies before the back of Tim’s legs met the couch. He fell with the help of gravity and before long, his brother was on top of him. Dick’s lips kissed, his tongue licked, and his teeth bit down on a particular spot on his neck._

_An instinctual and automatic gesture happened when Tim spread his legs for Dick could get in between them. His breath hitched as he arched towards him, his body reacting to every new sensation. “Dick…” He voiced in a needy and breathless moan._

“And in the case of Smallville, Jonathan Kent as pronounced dead moments ago. Martha Kent is still in ICU fighting for her life. GNN will keep you reported with any live updates. Now, onto—” It was her familiar voice, but his mind made the rest of her words into white noise.

“Conner…” Tim muttered before he pushed his body off of the couch. A sigh escaped his lips as his eyes shut and fingertips ran through dark locks. His eyelids were rubbed with the pads of his fingertips as he tried to think of the next course of action.

It was hard to think coherently without the amount of proper sleep he had been used to, even if he was a vigilante.

The emotions were kept at bay, but before he could stand, his phone began to sing loudly throughout his home. He reached over and picked it up, Bruce’s voice reached his ear before he could take a chance to give a proper greeting, “I have information for you about the case you’re working on. Come by soon.” At the same instance, a _click_ sounded after while the dial tone soon preceded it.

“Dramatic…” Tim muttered before he tried to shake off the exhaustion. His head turned over to the television before a small yawn escaped him. As he stood, he grabbed the remote off the coffee table before pushing the cushy button. He walked away, his stomach beginning to urge him for food while the memories of last night were thrown into the back of his mind.

* * *

“I’m sure Dick’s already given you the preliminary files.” Bruce answered as he took the cowl off his head as he stood and pulled away from the chair in front of the Batcomputer.

“He did. I couldn’t find anything concrete. It’s all over the place.” Tim slowly walked down the stairs, a croissant pinched between his fingertips as he chewed at the flakey bread.

_Thank Alf._ He thought as his stomach noises began to settle down after the first bite.

“There’s one point that they seemed to have missed. Once the police officers got there, they took Conner into custody while Jon was on standby. They found their grandparents unconscious. It seems as if the primary instrument was a crowbar.”

Throughout all the years of being Robin and Red Robin, he had never felt as sick as he did in this moment. The Kents had been an extended version of family and now here he was listening to their gruesome death and near death. Slowly, he placed the bread down as a wave of nausea threatened to expel what he had eaten moments prior.

“A crowbar.” The words were repeated at a slow rate as he tried to fully process the information before he continued, “You’re telling me someone beat them with a _crowbar?_ ” Anger sparked and was voiced, but he quickly settled the burning embers within himself.

“Yes.”

“Father.” Damian’s voice tore the atmosphere apart as he followed the invisible trail left behind from Tim’s descend. “I wish to accompany you to Smallville for this investigation.”

“I’m not going, Damian.” Now, Bruce’s voice sounded a bit tender.

“But Father…” It was almost distraught.

“Tim’s going.”

“Tt.” It was expected as a glance of annoyance with a mixture of a glare was thrown towards his adoptive brother’s direction. “Drake.”

“It’s his case, Damian.”

“This is a serious matter and you put Drake on the job?”

“It’s Conner.” Tim finally intervened as he threw a small glare, but held back the added venom he wanted to put into his voice. “I’m his leader. Cassie and Bart are counting on me to solve this and I believe he’s innocent. ” It was a mistake on his part to add the last bit, but knew he believed it.

“…” There was an extended of silence before he took a step closer. “Then I demand you take me with you.”

At any other point in time, he wouldn’t have hesitated to say, ‘no’ but when his clone’s voice echoed through his mind about Jon, he knew he had no choice. “Fine.” It was still said with a distaste. He ignored how their father didn’t even turn towards their direction as they spat.

It seemed as if the youngest Robin had not expected this answer as he was taken by surprise, but it was quickly replaced with a neutral expression and no further words.

“I’m only taking you. You can help, but this is my case.”

“Father—” The youngest Robin tried to dispute.

“Damian.” A serious tone retorted.

“Tt. Very well.”

“As I was saying…” Bruce continued while his shoulders relaxed just a smidge, “The primary report said the weapon was a crowbar, but there was no sign of forced entry.” The words repeated were for Damian’s sake.

“Then they knew the perpetrator or perpetrators.”

“It’s too soon to tell. I’d have to ask Clark if his parents left the door open and…”

“Right.”

A heavy burden was on all of their shoulders as it was hard to not mourn or lash out at the current facts of the case, but they held strong. An eerie silence passed between the three of them.

“When are you going?” Their father was the first to speak up.

“I have a meeting in the morning with Lucius and some private investors. They wanted to talk about what’s happening with the Neon Knights. After that, I’ll head to Smallville.”

“Is it possible for you to come back home before it?”

“After my meeting and once I get everything packed, I should be able to come here.”

“You should get some rest, then.” It wasn’t a suggestion, but an order.

“Yeah…”

“Save yourself some time and stay the night. Your room is still here.”

“I’m good, but maybe next time. Do you mind if I use the jet?” The sleep deprivation made him miss the key tone that his father may have wanted him to stay for silent comfort after such a sudden and strong loss.

“Not at all. I’ll keep working the case from this angle and see if I can come up with a list of suspects. I’ll see if I can get more intel from the Sheriff’s Department, too.”

“Okay.”

He didn’t even reach out for his croissant again as he left or notice how Damian’s expression changed one into a sullen one.

* * *

On the way back to his home in Crime Alley, he had stopped for a tea on the way home. As he climbed up the flight of stairs to his bedroom with the steaming hot peach tea in his hand, he set it down. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he relaxed them. The lingering taste of peach was on his tongue and for a moment, he didn’t feel the presence of another individual in his room.

“Hey.” A voice from the darkness spoke to him in darkness.

“Hey…” He couldn't bring himself to let him mourn now in the presence of another.

However, Tim did not reject his brother’s warm embrace from behind or the soft, gentle kisses planted on his neck. Dick lead him towards the bed and as they both laid down, he pushed back onto the warmth. The exhaustion continued to creep on him. Slowly, his eyes begun to close as he interlaced their fingers, but he stared at the blue fingers.

“Thanks…”

“For what?”

“Being here… a lot of things.”

No words came from a response but instead a soft and gentle kiss behind his ear which made him shudder. It wasn’t until a moment later that it came, “Sleep… I’ll stay here for as long as I can.”

His brother made a small noise before his eyes closed, then the image of cerulean fingers were replaced by darkness. It had been a long day and even though he had a lot ahead of him, he knew that the rest of his team had confined and put their trust in him. He couldn’t help but think of the possibility of scenarios that were to occur as the case progressed. Every key detail replayed in his mind until he began to drift off to sleep.

Nightwing’s body next to him shifted slightly, but he could barely feel the warmth leaving his immediate vicinity. It wasn’t until there was a soft click from beyond that he finally let his body go. There was only an echo of his thoughts left.


	2. Sullen

A pale hand loomed over the air above the clicking clock. Another second passed before an alarm blared loudly throughout the entire home as the hand smacked down upon the silver button. Slowly, his arms pushed before he rose. Tim had been wide awake for a while now and couldn’t go back to sleep as the case lingered in his mind. His hand wrapped around his neck to give a slight massage at the muscles underneath before he threw the blanket in a wayward direction. There was a small wave of Dick’s scent that hit his nose, but the thought of him didn’t dwell.

His bare toes walked across the room towards the bathroom. Each hand tightly gripped at the sink before he turned to look at the reflection of the mirror. There were purple marks that littered his neck, but he ignored them as he looked into his own pupils. “You marked me…” Tim sighed, but felt his heart jump.

Under his eyes, purple skin reflected back to expose the exhausted state he was currently in. After he stared for a moment, he reached over to turn on the faucets for a shower. Soon, his clothes were stripped as hot water hit each of his muscles. He closed his eyes to relish in the pleasure before he threw his head back in a different direction.

A relaxed sigh escaped his mouth before he pressed his fingertips onto the space between his neck and shoulders. It only lasted a moment as the ringing caught his ears. He shook his head and then grabbed at the shampoo bottle.

_Relaxation over._

His bare foot stepped out first as the towel was wrapped around him. He crossed the room before the phone was on the palm of his hand. There was only a text message from Bruce informing him of the time that the jet would be ready to depart.

Tim put the electronic device down before he let go of the towel to take a business suit out of the closet. After he placed them on, he looked in the mirror to make sure his hair had been perfectly combed and no button was out of place.

He grabbed at his phone before he took the keys and he walked out of the room towards the service car that had been waiting outside. There was a slight pause as he opened the door, but as he mentally checked everything in his mind that there was nothing he forgot, he stepped inside. There was no small talk while they headed towards Wayne Enterprises.

The ringtone of his phone sounded as he immediately picked up this time, “Hello?”

“Hey! Do you have anything new?” It was Bart’s voice on the other end of the call.

“No,” Tim answered while a sense of guilt and dread overcame him. “I’m heading towards a meeting right now, but will update you after I land.”

“Mm.” There was an unsatisfied noise as a response. “Okay, but…”

“I promise I’ll call you.” The young vigilante could feel one of the knots he disintegrated moments prior reform on his shoulders. He turned his attention towards the left, he saw the spotless architectural building. “I have to go.”

As he hung up, he could barely hear, “Hey wai—”

“Thank you.” The young CEO said to the driver before he stepped out and adjusted his tie. A wave of nervousness made his heart accelerate while he closed the door. The smile that seemed genuine enough for normal people but he only got sympathetic looks thrown his direction. Then, the pained smile replaced the fake one.

_I guess it’s okay to show your emotions this time._

He continued until he reached the elevator then pressed the button to the floor. After he reached it, he started to walk down the hall, but Tim’s blood almost froze when he saw Lucius Fox standing near the meeting room. It had been a first since the past few weeks he only found him seated inside. After all, he was still upset with how Tam had been treated.

“Sir.”

“Mr. Wayne.” The tone was formal which almost made Tim’s face cringe.

“…”

“You should go home. I saw the news. We don’t have to do this meeting. I can go in there to postpone it.”

It took an unexpected turn and even if he felt the awkwardness, Tim thought about it. He knew he could use the time to go, but also knew that the investors inside were already here and that if the meeting was postponed, they could go elsewhere. “No, let’s do it.”

“Very well, Mr. Wayne.”

It was a harsh hit, but he went inside the glass doors anyway.

“Mr. Wayne. Mr. Fox.” The both men protruded their hands while they fixed their suits.

“Mr. Johnson and Mr. Baker, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Each name had been said congruently with the handshakes that he shook. After, he took a seat and looked at the documents that were in front of him. There were sharp light green letters that spelled out: Neon Knights.

“The pleasure is ours.” They both said simultaneously.

“Now, about this meeting.” Lucius said as he took out the documents from his folder. “We see that you’re interested investing in Mr. Wayne’s Neon Knights program.”

“Yes,” Baker began, “We see that it’s becoming a nice international program. We’d love to invest in it.”

“Have you thought of a gala?” Johnson interjected as he sat up in his seat. “We could host it and you’d be able to make more than enough donations for it.”

Lucius seemed to have been taken aback from the progress meeting as Tim stopped reading the fine print within the documents. He turned his attention upward, “I believe Mr. Fox was talking.”

There was a near-deafening silence before Lucius cleared his throat and continued, “Even though a gala seems like a good option… Mr. Wayne is a very busy man.”

“And if his father hosts it?” Baker asked.

The amount of sleep made him prone to anger which flashed for a second in his eyes. They seemed to have taken note as they quieted down and moved backwards in their seats. “As Mr. Fox was saying…” Tim finally voiced with slight irritation.

“Yes…” Finally, Mr. Fox was cautious as he continued. “What would be good event this type of thing if you’re so inclined… it would be something for kids. Maybe we can host a bake sale at one of the buildings.”

“A bake sale.” Baker said, sounding almost unamused.

Tim almost wanted to grind his teeth at this point. “It seems as if you have no interest in the Neon Knights program.”

“That’s not true. Of course we do. We care about the children.”

“Then why is a bake sale out of the question?”

“That’s not—”

“Mr. Wayne.” Lucius gave him a stern look.

“Seems like we’re wasting our time here.” Mr. Johnson said as he rose up.

Tim mirrored the action. “We’re done here, then.”

“Excuse me?” Baker said while Johnson threw them a look of disbelief.

“I said… we’re done here. Next time you plan to waste my time, I’ll send you an invoice. And don’t worry, Vicki Vale will get this exclusive.”

“Are you threatening us?”

“That’s a harsh word. I’m not doing anything. We came into this room for a meeting and all you two are doing is dancing around and wasting my time.”

“Mr. Wayne—” Johnson started.

Tim threw an angry glare towards their direction that nearly rivaled Bruce’s. “If you want to speak to Bruce Wayne directly, then ask him for a meeting, but don’t go through to him through his son. I’m a businessman, Mr. Johnson. I’m not a kid that’s playing dress up. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do and not fool around with clowns.”

_I do that enough already._

He turned and left the conference room to the bathroom, but he could feel the effects of sleep deprivation while the adrenaline wore off. Each hand gripped at the sink before he leaned towards it and breathed heavy. Flashes of the crime scene plagued his mind before he turned on the faucet to splash cold water onto his face.

There was a wave of nausea that threatened to come up but as he stood and took in a deep breath. Tim’s shoulders slumped as he grabbed a facial towel from nearby and applied it to his face. Every fiber of softness was a welcoming touch that eased the stress levels.

A creak of the door caught his attention as he turned over to glance at Lucius giving him an expression of slight anger and annoyance. “Mr. Wayne.”

“Yeah?”

“That was reckless. But… we got the investment.”

“Good. Now go in there and tell them we don’t want it.”

“…” He wanted to sigh but instead asked, “Are you feeling alright? You seem pale.”

“I’m fine. I have a flight to catch. Excuse me.” Tim placed the towel down onto a small container where there were other discarded ones. When he reached outside, he walked towards the car that was meant to take him to the airport. A throb began at his upper right temple as he leaned against the cool glass. Each eye closed before he drifted to sleep.

It felt as if it had been only five minutes when a voice woke him up, “Mr. Wayne. We’re here.”

“Drake. Get out of the car.” Damian’s voice spoke up when he could hear multiple taps against the window.

At the sound of his voice, he felt his body fall towards the right as he nearly fell out of the car. “Damian, what the hell?” The thrown glare didn’t miss but it had no immediate reaction.

“Tt. And you call yourself a business man.” The younger sibling turned on his heel towards the direction of the private jet.

He rolled his eyes but slowly pushed himself upwards. After he thanked the driver and shut the door behind him, he could feel his phone buzz against his pant leg. Without even thinking, he lifted it to his ear, “Hello?”

“Hey!” Dick’s chip voice sounded, “I’m glad I caught you. I just wanted to let you know that if you need anything, I’ll be here.”

Even if it had been words that he had been accustomed in his Robin years, they had the effect of making his heart churn in his chest before his cheeks were dusted with a light pink hue. Tim hadn’t noticed Damian narrow his eyes at him. “I gotta go.”

“Oh, b—”

He turned back towards Damian, but when he looked up the stairs, he was nowhere to be seen. Tim’s fingertips started to undo the tie as he took a seat on the opposite end of where Damian sat.

“Father has arranged everything. Our _clothes_ are packed. And if we need anything, we are to inform him.”

“Okay.”

“There’s nothing new. Father informed me these are copies to look back at.”

“Right.” After the word laced with slight sarcasm was said, but he took note on how his younger brother stared at his neck for a brief moment before he looked elsewhere. It made Tim’s heart skip a beat before he cleared his throat. “About—”

“I do not wish to know about your fun nightly curricular activities, Drake.”

“…”

The fatigue finally took hold of the older brother as his eyes flickered before they completely shut after moments of silence. His head hung forward as his body slumped against the seat as it threatened to go towards a different direction.

At this, the sharp expression from Damian slowly fell as his mask was replaced with one of sadness. Quietly, he took a hold of the files before he let his hands rest there for a brief moment. Every thought that entered his mind had been filled with sorrow and worry. He turned as he could feel the turbulence from the jet as they took off but noticed how Tim’s body slumped over onto the seat.

“Idiot…” He muttered underneath his breath but made no motion to wake him. Instead, he looked out the window while clear droplets manifested in his eyes. Damian’s throat tightened enough to cause pain. Each hand tightened into fists, but he straightened up before he forced his throat to relax.

* * *

“Drake. Wake up.” It had been hours later as the wheels of the jet touched down on the black asphalt which caused the screech to sound as their bodies bumped from their current position. “We’re here.”

The sleepiness was a fog on his mind as both of his eyes fluttered before he rubbed at them. He could sense the stare, but when he gazed at his brother, he had already taken off his seatbelt to gather his belongings.

“Thanks…” Tim muttered in a quiet voice, but when Damian didn’t react, he wondered if he had heard or not. Nevertheless, he grabbed the documents before following suit and mimicked his actions.

“Father called ahead and we’re to be situated at a small bed and breakfast.”

“Great. We’ll set up base camp there.”

When no response came, the oldest sibling followed until they were at the car that would have picked them up. Just as he promised, he called Cassie first, “Hey.”

“Hey.” There was a crashing sound from the background as Ravanger’s voice was yelling to attack. “What’s up?”

“I’m in Smallville.” Tim seemed unphased, “There’s no new information. Do you mind telling Bart for me?”

“Cool. I’ll let him know. See you then.” _Click._

After she hung up, Tim leaned back into the seat as he looked over at Damian who stared out the window. He could barely see the emotions that ran through his brother’s mind. At the tip of his tongue, he wanted to ask, ‘Are you okay?’ but knew the answer to that.

Nobody was okay. Everyone had felt the devastating loss and the only way to cope with it was to find answers. It wasn’t that they trusted the Sheriff’s Department, but seize of control was for their own benefits.

Tim could see conflict in Damian’s gaze, but they both agreed quietly that the best course of action would have been to set up and later on try to find the Kents to see what else they knew.

“How are you managing?” Finally, the question left his lips before he had a chance to stop himself.

“I’m fine, Drake. Are you?”

It had taken him from surprise, but he stopped to think about it. Had he? Every emotion he knew that would come with grief such as anger or sadness hadn’t surfaced yet. If anything, they had been numbed down. “… I’m fine, too.”

After what seemed to have been hours in the car when in reality it was only thirty minutes, they got out and went into the small bed and breakfast with fancy cursive letters on the outside labeled: _Summer’s Bed & Breakfast._

They reached inside and went up to the woman working the front desk. “Excuse me? Reservation for Alvin Draper?”

It was an alias long burned, but decided to see if he could reuse it once more.

“Hm?” She finally looked up from the keyboard before she pushed at the rim of her green glasses. “Oh! Mr. Draper. Of course. Give me a moment.” Almost immediately, one hand went to the mouse as clicking noises could be heard. “Yes. You have a room here for two king size beds and it will be a night. All expenses have already been paid in advance.” While repeating, her voice went up a higher octave in surprise. “Excuse me while I get your key.” She turned around to look at the keys.

“Boys.”

When they turned their heads, they saw Clark standing there with a bucket of ice.

“Here’s your key, Mr. Draper.” Her chip voice sounded as keys jingled.

“Thank you.” Tim took them, but couldn’t ignore the expression Clark threw towards their direction. After he gathered their things, he followed Damian and the reporter to a discrete location.

“I’m guessing you boys here are on business.”

“Yes. We want to do everything we can to help.”

“Lois is currently at the hospital… I’m only here while Jon rests. Conner…” It sounded as if his vocal cords contracted nearly made both boys flinch. Yet, he pressed on while there was coat of wetness on his eyes. “He’s at the station. They’re holding him, but Jon has yet to give his statement.”

It was heartbreaking to see Superman, a man of Krypton that was admired by all of Earth for his strength finally break down at familial loss. His father was gone, his mother fighting for her life, his son for being a prime suspect, and his other son probably broken down by being one of the witnesses.

“Bruce called,” Clark cleared his throat, “When he said he sent his sons… I didn’t think it was for business.”

There was hesitation on Tim’s part as he didn’t want to say the wrong thing, but he gave a simple nod. Next, he cautiously proceeded with each word carefully chosen, “We… want to give them justice. We want to get to the bottom of this to see who’s to blame.”

Before the kryptonian had a chance to speak, Damian finally asked, “May I please see Jon?”

“Yes. We’re in room 403.”

When his younger brother turned to him, Tim gave a small nod, “I’ll go set up. We’re in room 204.”

“Alright. If you boys need anything… we’re here, too.” The heart wrenching smile tugged at both vigilantes’ hearts before he turned to another direction while Damian followed.

_You still want to give us comfort when—_

His heart caught in his throat, but he pushed the emotions back as his facial expression turned from misery to neutral. Tim went to find his room before he started to set up everything he had gotten.

It would be a long night.


	3. Krypto

The Red Robin suit was heavy on his shoulders. It was the moon that shined outside that gave him hope as black fingertips anchored themselves onto the window before it rose. When he turned, he saw a tricolored Robin suit with an addition of a garnet shade. After the second he glanced, he pressed his boot against the window before he jumped down. Crickets had chirped happily into the dark abyss of the night as everything in the surrounded area. Small balls of light that were fireflies illuminated in different directions as they danced to the cricket’s songs. Tim ran towards a particular direction with a sound of tinier feet behind him.

It was where Bruce had said when they finished setting up in the room. They both went to a particular area where the coordinates where given on a map before they pulled at the tarp to reveal a motorcycle with a Red Robin insignia. He looped his leg around it before he felt a pair of smaller hands around his waist. After he turned it on and the motor purred to life below him, he changed the trajectory of the cycle to the Kent’s farm.

“How is he?” Tim questioned before his palms tightened at the handles of the bike.

“Asleep.” Damian responded.

Instead of pushing the matter further, they could both hear a click in their right ear. For a brief moment, Tim wondered if it was Lonnie.

“This is Oracle.” The distorted radio voice came through. “I hear you boys are having a fun night at the farm.” It was an attempt at humor, but neither of them smiled. Nevertheless, she continued, “There’s more we gathered. An eyewitness report came forward. Her name is Lulu Williams. She says she saw a man with black attire leave the farm house and get inside a vehicle. She says the person was a ninja.”

“A ninja.”

“Yes… now here’s the tricky part. She’s been diagnosed with schizophrenia since age nineteen.”

“She’s not a credible source.” Tim frowned.

“No. The Sheriff’s Department doesn’t believe anything she’s saying.” Oracle’s voice dropped into a softer tone.

“Then we have nothing.”

“Back to square one. Do you still want her address?”

“Yes.”

Even if the woman was mentally ill, he had to check out the lead until there was an absolute certainty without a doubt that she may not have seen something. It puzzled him, but before he could continue his analyze further, he heard her voice again.

“One other thing.”

“Yeah?”

“She said that she couldn’t see the vehicle plates to record them, but she recognized it enough to say that it was Batman’s symbol.”

“That’s preposterous.” Robin frowned.

“You’re…” Tim trailed off and breathed in, “You’re telling me that a schizophrenic woman by the name of Lulu Williams saw a ninja get out of the Kent’s home and he had Batman licensed plates.”

“You got it.”

Red Robin wanted to shut his eyes, but his shoulders relaxed. “I’ll check it out.”

“Your phone should have the information you need. Have fun.”

The soft click alerted him that she was gone.

“Why would you even entertain this idea?” Damian’s question was coated in venom.

“We don’t jump to conclusions,” Tim reminded him, “But also just because she may not have seen something that may sound crazy to all of us… it might point in a different direction. She can guide us where to look. And we don’t even know if she was on her medication that day.”

“Or it could lead us to a dead end and time wasted.”

“Or it could lead us to a dead end and time wasted.”

“Tt.”

Even though Tim didn’t know the condition that Jon was, he could understand Damian’s frustration even if the sudden urge to roll his eyes had been prominent. Finally, he slowed down as the farm came to view up ahead. The golden tape glistened as the moonlight hit it. He parked the bike a bit far away and hidden from the outside forces before he turned off his motor to start to go inside. Between both of Tim’s fingertips, he ushered the lock picks to do their job before the door opened easily to the knob turning.

There was no time to brace himself at the collateral damage the house sustained as he walked inside. Instantly, his eyes adjusted to the difference in dim, but when the door creaked, he was brought back to reality.

“I’ll go check upstairs.” Robin informed him as he carefully stepped inside and avoided the crucial spot where Pa and Ma Kent were laying.

“Right…” Red Robin muttered as the door clicked behind him. He could tell the detachment in Damian’s voice was due to the League of Assassin training. Carefully, he flickered on a small flashlight on as he started to heads towards the kitchen.

At the refrigerator, the flashlight shined on Conner’s face. He tilted his head as he looked at Ma and Pa Kent had their arms wrapped around his figure while Krypto had his tongue out at their feet. It finally occurred to him that he would have been here at the time of the crimes.

“Where are you?” Tim questioned while his eyes narrowed slightly. He pulled away with a grimace and continued his search for any tangible evidence.

“Red Robin. Come here.” Robin’s voice had been pronounced even if he had been at a different altitude. Tim didn’t hesitate to go towards his voice and stopped short when he saw a bullet casing onto the ground.

Damian knelt down and carefully gathered the evidence before he held his phone’s light toward it. “It’s unused. Why would…”

“They found no sign of forced entry.” Tim wondered about the possibilities of what had occurred, but he shook his head. “I’ll keep looking.” The room was a primary location now, but after close inspection from them both, they couldn’t find anything else. “Do the Kents own firearms?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did Clark say anything?”

“I didn’t question him.”

“…” Silence plagued the room before Tim finally looked towards Damian’s direction. “You did good.” He didn’t stay to find out the aftermath of his statement before he went towards the stairs. The first source he looked at were the walls, but there was no indication of anything. Slowly, he descended until he hit the bottom. It was then at he could see a small scratch on the wall. “What the…”

Upon closer inspection, Red Robin’s eyes narrowed behind the cowl. He tilted his head before his phone rose to take a photograph of it. “If you had a gun… why the crowbar…”

Tim stopped when he remembered Barbara’s words. His heart sank at the realization that the woman didn’t mention a dog barking or anything of the sort. Every emotion and fiber in his being jolted to express an urgency to try to find Krypto, but he withheld. Instead, he stared at the mark closer to see if it would indicated a mark, but left it alone.

The trek to where their bodies had been found was reached as he moved downward. He breathed in as he saw scratch marks on the floor. A huge wave of emotion hit him harshly, but he closed his eyes for a brief moment to take another breath.

_Get a hold of yourself. Push the emotions down and continue your investigation. Otherwise, you’ll miss something if they take control._

There was not another moment of hesitation as he continued his search. Tim narrowed his eyes, but when he moved a piece of furniture over, he saw it. Another bullet had been abandoned and after he took the photograph, it was held up.

It was the same type as the one upstairs.

_What the hell happened here?_

Red Robin pressed against the floor as he rose and turned to another direction. At that instant, Robin appeared to follow him.

“I found another one.” He voiced. “Another bullet.”

“Hm.”

When they made their way outside, their tracks came to a quick halt as a white paw was hidden behind the barn door.

“No…” Damian sounded breathless before he went into a sprint.

“Wait!” Tim shouted, but he had gotten there too late. The door was pulled open with a harsh shove before he had a chance to cover his younger brother’s eyes.

Each reaction had been simultaneous as a hushed pained noise left Damian’s lips. Tim lifted his long cape to wrap around him to bring him into a hug. Their hearts mourned and squeezed as the surprise pain took a hold of their bodies.

The silence from the night seemed more pronounced as the cricket’s singing became distant. Both brothers did not move from their spot as they mentally coped in their own ways. Finally, Tim made the decision to softly say, “Go inside. I’ll investigate this part.”

“Red—”

“That’s an order.” His voice may have sounded almost similar to his father’s, but there was a soft crack that lingered within. He watched as Damian headed back towards the house, but minute changes in body language knew that it hit him hard.

Slowly, Red Robin turned to the remnants while vile hit the back of his throat. Tim took a step closer before his brows furrowed in emotional frustration. It was a wave of wanting to tear up and mourn that halted him, but he continued on.

Carefully, he stepped over Krypto’s corpse to try to see if there was any type of green stone that glowed in the darkness. After he saw no traces, he started his search all over the barn. It seemed eternal, but during his search, he mentally prepared himself for what he had to inevitably do. Tim finally stood over him as he looked for any traces. There was only one: a bullet wound on his skull.

“… Who would do such a thing?” He muttered in sadness, but it occurred to him where the green kryptonite may have been. Two fingertips touched at the com in his ear, “Robin. I need you to check inside of the bullet you found.”

There was no response back and when he was about to move towards the home, he heard it, “It’s filled with kryptonite.”

“We have a visitor.” Tim looked up towards the clear navy skies that had sprinkles of stars scattered all around with Superman slowly landing down. He tried his best effort to conceal Krypto before he made his way over. Out of his peripheral, he could see movement inside the house.

“Did you boys find anything?”

“Do you know where Krypto is?”

At the question, Clark’s face contorted into one of a puzzled expression, “No. He’s missing.”

“Have you been here since you’ve arrived?”

“Yes,” Clark’s lips turned downward as his eyebrows furrowed together, “I’ve been here every morning to tend to the crops and animals. What’s going on?”

“He wasn’t here.” Damian finally voiced.

“We… found Krypto inside the barn. He’s dead with a bullet wound in his head. We don’t know if that was the cause of death, but suspect it.”

A blast of wind hit the two vigilantes as the superhero raced off towards the barn, but after they turned their heads towards that direction, Superman’s immediate actions were halted in place. He let out a groan of pain as he collapsed onto his knees. “Kryptonite.” He muttered painfully as he tried to move away. “It’s small, but it’s there.”

Immediately, both Robins sprung into actions as each of them had a silent agreement on their actions. They grabbed at one of his arms as they pulled hard to try to get him away from the barn. After enough distance between them as they set him down onto the dirt.

“This attack was deliberate and calculating. They’re watching your family and this was a taunt. They know you’re Superman. Then that must mean they know Conner and Jon are Superboy. That would narrow down the suspects, but it’s not Lex Luthor.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because Lex Luthor doesn’t seem to be the type to leave evidence behind.” Damian interrupted, “We found bullets inside the house with kryptonite in them. Why attack Clark Kent but not Superman?”

The puzzled expression came back to his face but he stopped and slowly pushed his torso off of the ground. “You boys have a point. Then… who was it?”

“I don’t know, but what we do know is that we’ve gathered more than enough evidence to continue. Do you know anything about a woman named Lulu Williams?”

“Red Robin—”

“She’s known in town for a woman to have mental issues.”

“Does she take her medication?”

“She usually does, but there have been instances where she hasn’t.”

Each thought that came seemed to have given him a dead end, but knew that she was one lead they could gather information from given the small time frame. They could have interviewed her in the morning when they were leaving. “Does she live nearby?”

“She does. Around two miles from here.”

“Okay. As for Krypto…” He trailed off, but knew each of them were looking to him to lead. It was hard to make a solid decision in the moment, but he pressed on, “We’ll take care of him. We need him to… be analyzed.” It was a harsh toll that the last two words needed to be said, but he straightened his back.

_It’s my case. Take control._

“Shouldn’t the Sheriff’s Department take a look at him?”

“No. This isn’t a normal crime scene anymore, Superman. Everything can be linked to your real identity. Do you hear anyone nearby?”

It was a long shot, but knew they could have eyes on Clark any moment. When he saw the pensive expression slowly turn a neutral one with a hint of sadness, he shook his head. “There’s nobody around us. It’s only us three.”

 _Unless if they’re a ninja._ A little voice whispered, but he hushed it into quiet submission. “I’ll take care everything here. Do you mind taking Robin with you back?”

“What? Red Robin—”

“Robin.”

“Tt.”

“Of course I don’t mind.”

A gloved hand reached out to give the Man of Steel’s shoulder a light squeeze before he withdrew it. “I’ll take good care of him.” His voice had a softer and gentle tone and repeated the same phrase from before.

“Thank you.”

After they had left, he went straight to what he had mentally prepared himself to do. A touch of the button on his communicator.

“Oracle.”

“I need you to do something for me. We found Krypto. And… he’s in bad shape.”

“How bad are we talking about?”

“He’s… gone.”

“Oh.”

Tim blinked away the emotion before he cleared his throat. “I need you to send someone to pick him up and see what information you can get from him. It seems like he has a bullet wound in his head and Superman couldn’t get near him. We think it might be kryptonite. Do you think you can postpone the jet leaving?”

“I’m on it. And how long?”

“As soon as you can. After noon, at least. That’s when I think I’ll be done here.”

“Okay. I’ll send over the info right away to delay it. And Red Robin… are you managing okay? Nightwing’s worried about you. I’m sure Bats is, but he’s… y’know. How’s Robin?”

“We’re fine.” It was hard to not let his voice soften.

There was silence from the other end as he could hear an electronic beep from the computer until she spoke, “… Okay.” It sounded more motherly.

“Krypto is in the barn. I also need you to narrow down any suspects that may know Superman’s or both Superboys’ identities.”

“That… alright. I’m on it.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m here if you need anything.” _Click._

There was an urge to take off his cowl, but he couldn’t stand the thought. He looked at his phone and wondered if he should send a text message to Cassie and Bart of his findings. Would they even be okay with all of this going on?

He should look up any news related to his team back in San Francisco.

_Deep breath._

Tim took his own advice as he let his lungs fill with as much air capacity, held it as long as he could, and exhaled to make his shoulders relaxed. Red Robin moved towards the house while the black cape fluttered in the wind. His cerulean eyes squinted behind the cowl before he tilted his head a bit.

As he scanned the white wood, he tilted his head at a closer inspection. Slowly, his eyes narrowed further as his brows underneath the cowl came together in an intensive thought. “It can’t be a ninja…”

He tried to articulate the pathway of entry but when he got close to the window he predicted the perpetrator(s) may have gotten inside, he used the light to closer inspect. The frame seemed to have been perfectly intact as there was no sign of it being forced opened. As he continued to inspect, a glimmer in the darkness caught his eye.

A small piece of fabric had caught on a splinter. Slowly, he moved closer and took photographic evidence before he caught it in a small bag. “Fabric… maybe DNA if we’re lucky.” Tim muttered, but knew the chances that were incredibly low.

It may have belonged to Clark, Conner, or Krypto. Even though it was black fabric, he knew the likelihood it belonged to Conner was high, but maybe Clark flew out the window at one point in time with dark clothes.

_It’s difficult to not jump to conclusions when all you want is answers._

Tim contemplated calling Oracle back but decided against it. He could analyze the evidence when he got back.

It was then that he felt a presence of a body behind him. Red Robin turned to look at Conner in his saddened eyes.

“Kon.”

“I heard everything. We need to talk.”


	4. Comfort

They perched on the rooftop of the farm house, but turned away from the barn. A long silence seemed to have dragged on until finally Conner spoke up.

“I should have been there.”

Tim’s heart broke in his chest and instinctively, he reached over to take Conner’s hand within his own to give a squeeze. “You couldn’t have known.” _Or worse. You and Jon would have been victims, too._

Conner’s hand didn’t squeeze back as the pained expression remained.

“Kon.”

“Tim—”

“Kon, listen to me. We don’t know how many people were here or what happened. You may have helped them, but at what cost?” He scooted closer, the bottom part of his face expressed as much sadness as it could muster.

“I know… just…”

“We’ll find who is responsible.” Cautiously, he wrapped his arm around his best friend as he held him. Each eye shut as he held his bigger frame close. “We’ll find them.” Red Robin whispered.

From then on, their conversation turned non-verbal. They leaned into each other’s embrace for comfort but then two strong arms wrapped around Tim’s torso. At the sudden action, his cheeks rose in temperature and his heart fluttered for a second.

“Are you okay? I heard that.”

A wave of nervousness hit him as he gave a small nod. “Yeah,” he whispered but cleared his throat, “I’m fine.”

“Do you have any leads yet?”

“None, but we found additional evidence. There was two kryptonite bullets inside of the house and I found this.” An arm continued to embrace while the other protruded the small bag with the minute piece of fabric. “I’ll have it analyzed and see what else it could give us. What about you? What happened?”

“You’ve seen the news, haven’t you?”

“I want to hear your version.”

“Are you interrogating me?”

“No, but this one best friend told me once that it was good to talk about things.”

“They sound like a weird friend. Is his name Bart?”

“The weirdest and maybe.” Tim’s lips flickered upward for a second.

“Jon and I went into town to try to get ingredients because Ma wanted to bake. When we came back, we noticed the door was opened. It… we heard no heartbeats. We could hear two cars coming, but didn’t think much of it. Once we were inside, the Sheriff came in. I was standing over them while Jon was off to the side. The Sheriff told me to put my hands up and read my Miranda Rights after he cuffed me. The rest… you know.”

“Did you hear anyone flee the scene or anyone around?”

“No… I didn’t even hear Krypto. They took me and Jon to the station. They tried to call Clark, but he wouldn’t pick up. It was hours later when they started to question me and tried to poke holes in my story.”

“Do you know if they questioned this woman by the name of Lulu Williams?”

“Lulu? No. I didn’t hear that name at the station.”

“Do you know if she’s been taking her meds lately?”

“She is, yeah. She joined a community of crochet in town.”

“When was the last time she didn’t?”

“Rumors are… two years back, I think? She was busy with work and missed a dose that turned into multiple ones. She barely slept and when she finally noticed, she was too paranoid to take them.”

“Thanks.”

“You think she saw something?”

“She might have. I’ll be questioning her in the morning.”

“As… Red Robin?”

“Alvin Draper, but that might not be a bad idea.”

Tim leaned back as the shingles dug into his suit. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before enjoying the rest his body received; however, before he dwelled too much into the relaxation, his stomach contracted and made a loud sound.

When a soft chuckle came from his left, he felt his eyebrow twitch in irritation.

“I think Ma still has some pie… c’mon.” Without skipping a beat, he moved inside of the home and started to make his way towards the kitchen while Tim followed.

The pie’s aroma filled the air between both of them with apples and a hint of cinnamon. A knife easily cut similar portion-sized pieces before it withdrew. Soon, two plates had pieces on top. When Tim grabbed a fork, he pushed the thought of his mind that it may be the last piece from Ma Kent he would enjoy, but when he saw Conner’s fork mimic his own hesitation, he softly nudged at his side. “It’s okay. I can eat back at where I’m staying. You and your family can enjoy it.”

“Tim…”

“It’s fine.”

It was until a sad expression was thrown his direction. The result had his heart churn, but when he felt a pair of arms embrace him, he welcomed them without a second thought. Tears threatened to form at the corner of his eyes, then his breath slightly hitched prior to the hug being returned.

“Why isn’t Batman on this case? Why did he send you and Damian?”

“I took it.”

“You what?”

“Kon, _I_ want to clear your name.”

“Look at you. You’re a mess. You already punish yourself by wearing that suit and now you’re…”

“ _Kon._ ”

“Sorry.”

They were concealed by darkness and he felt comfortable enough to reach under the cowl to push it off his head. He looked upwards with a soft and gentle expression. “I know what I’m doing. Besides… Bart and Cassie may have hounded me to take the case.” He wanted to chuckle.

“I believe it.”

A laugh erupted from Tim as he shook his head, but the palm of his hand went to cover his mouth. Subconsciously, he leaned toward Conner as his heart fluttered due to a different type of emotion. It had been a long investigation already and to express it other than concealing it had been alleviating. He pressed the side of his face into best friend’s shoulder until the wave of laughter subsided; however, it was almost immediately after that he felt bad that he looked up, “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“Tim? Buddy? You really need a vacation after this.” There was a small smile flashed back at him.

“You’re telling a Bats he needs a vacation?”

“It’s a blue moon?”

“Oh shut up.” Tim snickered before he pressed a closed fist on his shoulder.

“Now…” Conner slid over the plate with pie over with a friendly smile on his face.

“Yeah, fine.” He agreed as he took it and inserted his fork into it. “But if Bart comes at me or Jon—”

“Are you saying we eat the entire pie?”

“That’s not—”

This time, he laughed as he patted Tim’s shoulder. “Relax.”

It had been an incredibly odd sensation when he felt stress inside the middle of his shoulder and neck. He had been relaxed and could feel the knots forming at the same time, but as weird as it felt, it was welcomed. Bart and Conner were always the ones to give him this, but it was different from when he spent time with his family. The Bats only had one of the many objectives when out in the field: stay focused and in control. With them, he could laugh, relax, and have fun. He always thought being Robin was enjoyable until Bruce and Dick mentioned the dangers of it due to Two-Face, Joker, and the aftermath with Jason Todd; however, it always seemed to be a serious situation even when there wasn’t a mission. At least, with Bruce. Conner and Bart were the opposite and even on missions if things were going wrong, they were having a moment of fun, but Tim maintained a straight expression even if it made him happy to see his best friends doing the opposite.

He trusted them.

They trusted him.

“Um… Tim?”

“Hm?” He snapped out of his daze and bit into the piece of pie left forgotten on his fork.

“Are you seeing anyone?”

“What?”

“Your um… neck.”

It was then the realization hit him as his cheeks turned into a pink color. Instinct controlled his body’s movements as his hand reached up to cover the marks. “No.” It came quick and sharp. “I…” Tim’s gaze looked elsewhere as his cheeks turned darker at the memories of Dick’s hands all over his hot skin and mouth attached to his neck. He cleared his throat, “I just… um… uh… I…”

“Yeah… um… okay.”

The pie was a good source to avoid conversation as he shoved another piece into his mouth. Tim didn’t notice that Kon wasn’t even eating. “I had a… one night… stand…” There was no going back, but he took note of the thick consistency the atmosphere between them.

“Oh.”

“I don’t do it often.” _Fuck._ “I just… y’know… it just happened.”

“It _just happened?_ ”

“Stop it. It’s not like you haven’t done it before.”

“That’s…”

“…”

“I’m worried about you. Was this before or after you took on this case?”

“Before.”

“Less worried, but still worried.”

“I can’t have fun?”

“This… was it fun?”

“I… yeah… it… it was nice. We cuddled a lot after.”

“…”

“What?”

“Just… processing.”

“We…” Tim started as he continued to absent mindlessly ate the apple desert. “We were just… walking around…”

“Wait, you _know_ them?”

“Not the point.”

“Alright, alright.” Each of his hands went up in a defensive position.

“We were just walking around and… we were talking… soon as I know… we’re stumbling into my apartment.”

“…”

“What?”

“Did… did it mean anything?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

_Dick wouldn’t care. Why would he?_

“So um…”

“Are you seeing anyone?” Now, the question redirected back at him.

“Not really.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“No.” He gave him a flick to the forehead. “Don’t use your Batbrain to analyze me.”

Tim gave a soft chuckle as he rubbed at the slightly reddened skin. “I’m not… you and Cassie couldn’t move past it?”

“We don’t all turn off our emotions our brush off issues, Boy Wonder.”

“Right.” At last, the final bite of the pie was completed as he licked at the corners of his mouth and fingers. Finally, he paid close attention to their proximity the moment he turned his head. He could feel the warmness of his body radiate as his heart leapt in his chest. Instead of pulling away, he leaned up.

The cardiac organ inside of his ribcage had quickened in beat but when his best friend didn’t pull away, it seemed as if time stood still. Slowly, his lips gave a gentle press against Conner’s. Tim could feel Conner’s shoulders slightly tense before the gesture was returned. Each arm snaked snuggly around his neck as their kiss started to become deeper.

Their tongues moved simultaneously against each other and when Tim could feel his back pressed against the counter, he let out a noise of pleasure from his throat. When both hands took a hold of his hips, his heart jumped and he could feel his cheeks redden more.

“Mmm…” It was a soft and weak noise as his legs shook. It was a moment later when he could breathe that he felt Conner’s lips against his neck that he automatically spread his legs. When he felt his warm body in between him, he pulled him closer. “Ah, _Kon_ …”

Each of their body core temperatures rose by the second as a hand moved up and down his side in a slow movement while his other palm ran slowly against Tim’s inner thigh.

“Mm…” It had been a blurred intoxication of pleasure, but his shoulders tensed at the realization of the situation. “Mm.” He could feel the bites at a fresh spot of his neck and knew it would bruise. “Wait… Kon… we shouldn’t.” Finally, Tim pulled back and was relieved when his best friend’s body withdrew.

“Right. Sorry. I—”

“No, it’s fine. I came onto you.”

Before he allowed the moment to get awkward, he slowly pushed himself off the counter. “Where are you staying right now?”

“With Clark, kinda. He and Lois got me a room. The lady at the front desk didn’t seem happy about it.”

“Let’s head back.”

When Conner’s hand intertwined around his own, his heart betrayed him and leapt in his chest once more. However, it only squeezed before it retreated as the pie was carefully placed away. It took a moment for Tim’s mind to play catch up before he forced his feet to move toward the door. Once again, the case plagued his mind even as he placed the cowl back on his head. Even outside when he got onto his bike, he paused.

“What is it?”

“I’m just thinking about the case. If there’s anything we’re missing, but nothing comes to mind. I think Robin and I exhausted all possibilities here.”

“I’m guessing the Batcave is the next stop?”

“Red Robin nest, but yeah. Both. I’m not sure what else I can do here.” After the engine gave a small purr, he got onto the dirt road to head back. When Conner flew next to him, the smile lingered more.

“I’m worried about Jon… I’ll try to be there when Clark gives him the news about Krypto, but… he seems to like it more when Damian’s there.”

“You’ll do fine. Maybe he’ll choose to stay behind. Besides… it’s my case. I can bench him if you think that’s best.”

“Maybe.”

The silence the rest of the ride was welcomed. Tim left the bike behind where Bruce managed to hide it before he lowered the cowl. He turned towards the building, but before he could walk his way over, he felt a pair of strong arms take hold of him. “Mm!” Immediately, the blush returned as his heart leapt. When they were at a different altitude, he threw a weak glare but before he knew it, they were at the window.

He placed his leg down to step on the sill before he took a step inside. When he heard the window close behind him, he lowered his cowl once more. It was near his own room with Damian’s even if it everything faced the opposite direction. “What do you think Clark will do if all of this goes south?” His voice held a hushed tone.

“I don’t know… maybe see what Batman would do if one of his kids was falsely labeled a criminal. You’re already miles ahead in this investigation and you started last.”

“We have resources the Sheriff’s Department doesn’t.”

“I know, Rob, but… you didn’t have to take this case on.”

“I won’t let it go south, Conner. Besides… you came here.” Finally, Tim turned to look at him with compassion behind his gaze. Each hand rested on the side of his neck as he took a step closer. “You started school here, you worked on the farm… you were never forgotten. I don’t know if this is the life pulling you back in, but one thing is for sure… I’ll get you of this mess.”

“Tim…” Once again, each hand rested on his hips.

“Anything your family needs, mine will provide it.” The light smile returned but a bit wider this time. Even if the height difference was small, he looked up into his eyes. Hesitantly, he pressed his body closer until he embraced Conner in his arms. He pressed his head against his shoulder and let out a soft sigh.

The small nuzzle came and a soft kiss was pressed against the same spot as before, he welcomed the touch. Each kiss given gave him pleasure, but time seemed to have gotten away from him when his back hit the soft mattress. The kisses were long forgotten as they stayed in each other’s embrace.

In his ears, Tim could hear his heartbeat loudly throb against each eardrum. He wondered if this was what Kon heard each time anyone was around him. Slowly, he relaxed further until his eyes closed. The soft breath of his best friend caught his attention moments later. He wondered if he should stay here the night or sneak off. Maybe he could do a hybrid of both and leave early in the morning.

“Have you cried?” A whisper sounded by his right ear.

“No.”

“Be sure to let it out when you can.”

Tim’s memories recalled the moment where the control finally slipped after everything he had witnessed. Any tear slipped out uncontrollably and his team was there to catch him, but one thought lingered… if it had been Bruce, would he even catch him at all? Alfred… he had no doubt. Dick, too. Damian… maybe. Cass… Doubtful. At least they were solid answers, but his own father had questionable moments in his life where the result mattered on the circumstances.

Either way, Conner’s point got across as he gave a light nod. “I’ll be sure to do that soon.” It was a promise even if the word had not been interlaced within the sentence. He turned his head and took in Kon’s scent while his heart fluttered in his chest.

It felt as if they were both in their own different world at the moment and that nobody could touch them. Chaos reigned around them, but as he felt more nuzzles into his neck, he looked out at the window. Stars twinkled like diamonds in the abyss. For once, the emotion was let inside as he felt his eyes water. They didn’t threaten to fall but manifested as his heart clenched.

When he closed his eyes, each eyelash tickled as it became coated in tears. A sniff broke the silence throughout the room, but his heart continued to contract mercilessly. The embrace tightened around him and he leaned toward it.

“We’ll be okay.” Tim whispered, but was unsure if it was for himself, Conner, or both.

Time had run away from him as a sky full of stars turned into dark locks of hair in his peripheral vision as kisses were planted upon his neck once more.


	5. Escalate

The gentle kisses to his neck were welcomed, but as he turned his head and their breaths caught, Tim’s lips pressed against Conner’s in a soft motion. His heart skipped a beat before his hand reached out to link their fingers together. Slowly, their tongues moved in sync with each other, but when Conner shifted on top of him, Tim scooted closer. A gentle touch rubbed against his cheek as the cowl was pushed upward by foreign fingers to reveal cerulean eyes.

“You’re beautiful…” Conner’s whisper came from above.

After his cheeks dusted with a tiny amount of garnet, he sat up a bit before he tugged at his shirt. “You’re…” It was a moment of awkwardness as to find a particular adjective to describe him, “Handsome.” He tugged at the fabric to reveal well-defined muscles.

Tim latched onto them as he gave soft and gentle pecks to each one while his hand felt down Conner’s abdomen. Meanwhile, his other hand felt up the well-toned back until it hit his shoulder blades. He mimicked his best friend’s actions from earlier and left a wet trail which caused a gasp from above him.

Two fingertips pinched at the zipper of the Red Robin costume and the noise was the only thing they could hear in the room. In complete darkness, he was at a disadvantage were it not for his powers. He strategically avoided the emblem and how the rest of the gear crisscrossed in front of his chest. When bear skin was exposed, his warm palm touched and moved down.

The vigilante lost himself to the euphoric sensations to his skin as he leaned back into the mattress. His breath hitched as his heart beat accelerated. Soon, he felt cold air hit his shoulders as a warm mouth planted kisses. A hot tongue trailed to his neck while the rest of his vigilante uniform was pushed down further. “Ah… Kon…”

It felt like a skin being shed as soon his bare hands were released from the confinements of the suit. A hand reached out toward him to reciprocate the same amount of pleasure, but when Conner’s mouth moved lower and sucked on an exposed nipple, a whine escaped from his lips. His hands went up to grip at the dark locks of hair. “Kon…!”

Two thumbs hooked at the rest of the leather and down his slender legs. Every item on him was almost thrown onto the floor before a wrist hooked onto Conner’s wrist. “Wait…” He was breathless as his gaze was hazy with pleasure. He dug into a certain pouch to protrude a bottle of lube. It was held up towards him, which caused a shocked reaction.

“You… you really are prepared for anything, aren’t you?”

Tim didn’t answer but instead leaned up to plant a tender kiss on his lips. He rubbed their noses for a brief moment then tugged at the black fabric of his shirt. “Off.” An eager command which resulted in the shirt joining his gear on the floor. After, his fingertips pinched to undo the button and zipper.

Tim’s teeth sunk into Conner’s bottom lip and when he could hear his best friend be breathless, it sent a shudder down his spine. He left more kisses onto his chest, but then laid back and spread his legs. “Go.” It was a husky whisper that was a command.

Each of their hands grasped at each other as their fingers intertwined. “Bossy.” The response was husky in tone.

The moonlight hit Tim’s slight grin at an angle, but also revealed flushed cheeks. “Shut up…”

“You prove my point.”

“Kon.”

“Right, sorry.”

A plastic cap opened in the darkness with a snap, but in the back of Tim’s mind, there was something he had been forgetting. Either way, he brushed the thought aside before he whispered, “Just go inside. No fingers.”

“What? Wait… you’re sure?”

“ _Kon._ ”

“Right, right.”

When his body loomed over him once more, his cerulean eyes looked onto a pair of similar ones. Their lips met in a soft kiss and when he felt the pressure, he made sure his body relax. The peck turned into loving kisses and Tim could feel Conner’s blushing cheeks. If he concentrated enough, he could feel the pulse with their intertwined hands.

Each taste had a distinction, but it immediately stopped when Tim could feel himself being filled up. Every toe curled into the sheets as he let out a whiney gasp.

“Sorry, did it hurt? I can stop.”

Instead, his head turned onto their lips met. “Ah… move. Mmm… you’re…”

“I’m…?” His tone lowered an octave as it turned huskier.

“Um…” Tim’s cheeks were fully flushed as he snuggly squeezed around him.

“Mm nevermind, got it.”

If it had been another situation, he would have laughed, but instead he leaned up to let their lips touch once more. As Conner’s body moved closer, his legs shook with intense pleasure. “Ah… fuck.”

“Mmm… mhm…”

It felt as if every nerve had induced a great amount of pleasure and before he knew it, he was tapping at Conner’s arm. “Go… it’s okay.” He had been breathless and when the action came, he could intensely feel every bit of him. “Ah…” Another grasp while he threw his head back. “Kon!”

“Tim…” His muscles strained as he pushed in further, the groan wanting to emerge from his throat. He moved lower to make another distinct mark on his chest. It had been a random spot before he started to lick, suck, and sink his teeth in. The more he felt Tim’s body shudder under him, the more he could feel the control slip from his grasp.

The pace of their movements were steady, yet slow. When Tim felt the most amount of pleasure, his hand tightly gripped at Conner’s hand. It build up to every moan that slipped between his lips. His legs slowly opened themselves to invite his best friend in more. “Ah… Kon…!” Immediately after, his back arched off the bed to press closer.

Slick noises radiated throughout the air, which caused Tim’s cheeks to fluster more at them. He clung onto the body above him while his fingernails scratched at the surface of his back. “Kon…!”

“Tim!”

When the speed increased, the vocalization of each moan did, too. The movements he caused with his body made the pleasure more intense. He shifted his hips towards Conner and his nails tried to dig into Conner’s skin. His mouth stayed agape as he desperately tried to get more oxygen. His eyes were closed, but he could feel the movement of them wanting to roll back.

A particular spot inside of him sent a wave of intense heat throughout his system as well as an eagerness to have it hit more. Tim tightened around Conner as he guided him by each buck of his hips to try to hit that particular spot over and over again. “There!”

For once, a hand gripped Tim and when he could feel the harder thrusts, the whines spilled from his throat. His cheeks became more flushed as his body melted into the mattress. Every coherent thought he had begun to fade away to nearly nothingness. “Kon!”

He could barely hear his own name being moaned each time his body was hit from the body above. How Conner left loving kisses on his collar bone and chest, every teasing bite to leave a very small mark. His mind had been in a fog because when the bed slammed against the wall, there was no other noise. When Conner looked down, his cheeks flushed to a bicolor of crimson and light pink. His teeth sunk onto his bottom lip as he watched Tim’s eyes closed in pleasure while puffy lips were parted. “Mm… Tim… Tim…”

Kon’s body core body temperature rose more as the erotic scene before him along with the sounds of their bodies hitting each other and rapid heartbeats almost pushed him close to the edge. A hand gripped tightly at the corner of the bed to steady his himself, but when his superhearing picked up the fibers being ripped, he loosened his grip. Instead, he tried to focus on another part, but it was hard. Tim’s strands of black hair were sprayed against the pale sheets. Both of his cheeks were flushed while his bottom lip glistened.

It was almost enough to push him over the edge as he shifted their hips extremely close which caused the one under him to slightly scream out in pleasure, the sclera of his eyes showing for a brief moment. The tone of his voice and words took him out of the overpowering pleasure that kept his mind in a fog-like state.

“Ah… I’m… I’m…” Tim’s grip on his hand tightened as he felt his body react to the pleasure. It was only a few more of their hips that a blinding pleasure came over him and his body spasmed before he felt hot droplets of fluid on his chest; however, the pleasure continued as he felt Conner’s body come closer. Now, small whimpers of pleasure leaked out of his lips while the body above him got closer and continued to hit the spot mercilessly for what seemed to have been minutes.

“Tim…! I’m…!”

Those two words were the only recollection the young vigilante had retained before his back arched off the bed and another loud moan escaped his lips.

Their panting filled the darkness and silence throughout the air, but fingertips weakly gripped each other. Each of their hearts raced in sync while their breathing nearly matched evenly. It seemed as if time had a mind of its own as their embrace dragged on for what seemed to have been hours.

Finally, Tim’s fog left his mind as the euphoria wave was over. His body shifted slightly, but he instantly almost regretted it as above him, Conner’s lips spilled a moan. Tim’s heart leapt in his chest, but soon he could feel loving kisses on the same spot over his heart. It brought a rare and gentle smile on his lips.

He returned the gesture by letting his fingers rake through the dark, sweaty locks of hair. Both of them remained that way before the exhaustion creeped up on him. Softly, he tapped at Conner’s shoulder to signal to pull away.

Reluctantly, the boy of steel did, but was rewarded with a shudder and soft moan underneath him. Conner’s strong embrace held him secure, but he closed his eyes. Next to his ear, the sound of his heart beat had been pronounced. Conner’s lips mimicked Tim’s, but it remained in a smile. He pulled the blanket on top of their bodies to make sure they were warm while his own heart was aflutter.

“Goodnight, clone boy.” Tim’s voice was the first to speak.

“Goodnight, Rob.” Conner didn’t feel alone when the smaller body scooted closer to cuddle and embrace him more. He felt at peace for the time being.

* * *

A bare knuckle tapped rapidly against wood. There was a soft pause before a voice behind him made a smartass remark.

“Yes, because Williams will open the door for two kids in sunglasses, Drake.”

“Shut up. It’s Alvin.”

“… _Draper._ What kind of stupid—”

Two fingertips pushed upon the door as it creaked open. It was at the instant that both of their demeanor changed as weapons were drawn from underneath their clothing. A step inside from a sneaker followed by a pair of more modern expensive shoes followed. Discs and batarangs were between their fingertips, but as they saw a trail of garnet, it grew in width. Before long, they stumbled upon the corpse as flies buzzed in a circular motion above it.

“… Well, we found Williams.”

“ _Robin._ ”

They ignored the immediate crime scene they had discovered go upstairs. Each step they committed upon the steps did not creak. Slowly, they rose towards the top where their weapons were held tighter. Once they were up to the upper floor and saw three doors open, they started to scour each of the upper floors. After what seemed to have been ages and looking in different possible hiding spots, their shoulders slightly relaxed.

Once more, they returned to where she lay and saw her expression. They held calm expressions but inside their emotions clashed, albeit more so Tim’s than Damian’s.

The new crime scene presented to them had her slouched against the sofa; however, it was Damian that saw the markings up on the windows that caught his attention. “It was Todd.”

“What?” Tim questioned as he pulled his gaze away then looked towards the letters on the glass. His blood froze.

**Nice job, Replacement.**

A spark within himself flickered before his fists tightened. The pieces of evidence left behind connected now: crowbar, bullets, kryptonite, ninja, Batplates. The jury was still out on the last one, but knowing how Red Hood could have been dramatic, there was very little doubt. At the next moment, their coms clicked against their eardrums.

“This is Oracle. There were two 911 calls from Lulu’s residence. You two need to get out of there. _Now._ ”

After her voice, they could hear the loud sirens quickly approaching.

“Red Robin.”

“Go. I'll to see if there’s anything left behind.”

“Drake—”

“I said _go!_ ”

“Tt.” Damian’s face turned into a scowl.

“Oracle? How much time do I have?”

“I don’t approve, but… around… three minutes.”

After the answer, he quickly tried to look around for any tangible evidence that may have contained Jason’s DNA. It seemed as if Damian went against his own instinct as helped.

“If father has to bail me out of jail…”

“Shut up and look.”

“Tt.”

“Boys, you have two minutes before they arrive. Get out of there.” When her voice went ignored, there was a frown in her tone this time. “Red Robin! Robin!”

“In a minute.” Tim muttered as he used his eyes to quickly scan the surroundings. He tried to look for the source of the paint where the red can was, but when he heard a click of a camera, he turned towards Damian who was holding up toward the windows.

“This is all we need. Now, you can stay here, _Timothy_ , but I will not follow your stupidity.” At that, he turned and walked away to try to find an exit other than the front door.

There was a moment of hesitation, but his older adoptive brother followed in suit. When they started to climb out an already open window, they heard shriek from downstairs.

“Time’s up.” Oracle reminded them. “Where did you park the bike? I can try to get you out of there.”

“Near them.” Tim muttered as he could see the trap that Jason had set out for them.

Damian was the first to jump into the bushes, but when he was about to follow suit, his shoulders tensed when he heard a body at the door.

“Sheriff’s Department! Stop right there!” A woman’s voice yelled.

“Shit.” He jumped soon after him and ran after Damian.

“That’s not good.” Oracle spoke as her fingertips tapped against quietly against her computer. “Heads up. Back-up is on the way. Seems like… oh… _oh_ … one of the calls was her screaming. It was only ten minutes ago.”

“You’re saying the perpetrator is may be here.”

“Red Robin, we need to _retreat._ ”

“Yes.”

At the high stress situation, he tried to think of the probability he was still here, but when more sirens brought him out of his attention.

“You two need back up. You won’t make it out of there.”

“He’s still here. How far could he get ahead with ten minutes?”

“ _Red Robin._ ” Now, Damian’s voice radiated with anger, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but let the mission go. Right now, our priority is to get to safety to regroup.”

“We still—”

“No! We can’t!” It had been a mistake that his voice rose.

“Got ‘em! Over here!”

“Shit.”

“Need help?” Each boy stopped and looked up at the new voice and when they saw Conner and Jon flying in the air while their peripheral to the right caught an abundance of a large red cape.

Last night had flashed through his mind, but when he glanced over to Jon holding out his hand to Damian and at how quickly he took it, by the time he turned back, he saw Conner’s extended towards him, Tim didn’t hesitate to take it.

Soon, the group of four were a great distance away and Clark joined them while the metal bike used to get them here was between his palms as if it weighed like nothing.

“What the hell just happened?” Conner’s voice broke through first, but at the immediate look from Clark and at how Jon’s eyes lit up, he immediately regretted the decision. “Sorry…”

“Red Robin’s foolish action nearly got us caught.”

Tim wanted to fight his case, but knew it was the truth. Instead, he looked towards another direction and tried to concentrate on the wind hitting his cheeks. “He’s right.”

“I wish we could talk about this more, but aren’t you boys leaving soon?”

“We are.”

“Ahem.” Oracle’s voice cleared throughout the intercoms where all five individuals could hear. “I got the picture Robin sent me. There’s… bad news.”

“What?” Tim voiced.

“There have been a series of… circumstantial crime spot hits in Joker’s territory. Even Black Mask’s. Everything seems to point towards Red Hood being the perpetrator, but we’re not clear yet.”

“I hear another ‘but’ coming.” Damian voiced while he relaxed in Jon’s touch which got him a sympathetic smile in return.

“Well…”

“Oracle?”

“There’s no CCTV footage of Red Hood’s presence, but they have the same M.Os to the murders. There are victims beaten with crowbars, but also some have been shot with kryptonite inside of them. Batman’s getting ahead on the case as we speak.”

“He’s calling us back to Gotham and he's not working alone.” Red Robin spoke.


	6. Instability

It was almost the same gesture of last night as their fingers intertwined. They were currently near the jet that would take them back home. Tim was looking into Conner’s eyes as his heart was slightly elevated in speed.

“So… I guess this is goodbye…” Conner started.

“For now.”

“Yeah.”

They were oblivious to Damian walking past them or to Jon waving goodbye.

“About… last night…”

It was a surge of emotions he was not prepared to face, but Tim’s heart squeezed before both of his hands could. Instinct told him to take a small step forward. “Yeah?”

“I wanted to ask if you and I could—”

“Draper!”

“In a minute!”

Conner seemed slightly stunned at the interaction, but started again, “If after all this… you and I could… get a cup of coffee in town? Or in Gotham?”

“Draper!”

Tim had been stunned and his mouth opened, but he couldn’t get any words out of his lips. It was soul crushing when he did respond and saw the hopeful light in Conner’s eyes go out. “I… gotta go.” Quickly, he withdrew his hands before he turned his back and followed his younger brother up the steps.

“Oh… I… okay.”

It had been the same words thrown Dick’s direction and now he was ran away from the problem he left behind. He ushered to his seat and clipped the seatbelt around his waist, but when he turned towards the window to look towards the Kents, he saw Conner scratching the back of his head while Jon had a puzzled look. It made his blood freeze.

_You’re not… please tell me you’re not telling your younger brother._

“Drake.”

Immediately, he snapped his attention towards Damian’s sharp emerald gaze thrown his direction.

“Father will want to have a word with you, but I do as well. I believe that you should hand it over to him.”

“What? Why?”

“This is getting to you. First, you panicked back at home. Second, you have fresh marks on your neck that were not there yesterday. Third, you did not come back to the room. It was obvious where you were, what you were doing, and why. This would be hard on anyone, but you should let him handle the investigation from now on.”

“No.” He spoke without a missed a beat.

“Your stubbornness rivals any idiotic villain who thinks he can take Batman down.”

“Thanks.”

* * *

Throughout the entire ride home, every thought of last night occurred to him. It made his heart feel emotions he had contained long ago, but as he stepped down from the stairs, he could hear his cellphone ring. When he glanced towards it and saw Cassie’s name, he immediately silenced it and got in the car. He ignored Damian’s sharp look. It wasn’t a moment later when Bart’s name flickered on the screen and this time, he did hesitate, but silenced it as well.

“Very mature.”

“Shut up, Damian.”

_Conner didn’t tell them. Conner didn’t tell them. Why would he them? He didn't, right...?_

When he felt it buzz the third time in his pocket, he saw two missed voicemails and Dick’s name. He almost repeated the same action as before, but there was a bit of hesitation. He slid over his finger and pressed the earpiece against his ear. “Hey.”

“Hey… you and I need to talk. Maybe tonight, if you can. Damian told me what happened.”

Tim shot the dirtiest glare at his younger sibling who didn’t seemed phased as he looked out the window. “… Yeah.”

“Tim, this is serious. You and I will talk about it. If you don’t come to my place, then I’ll see you tonight at yours.”

The silence dragged on for more than what he intended, but due to the serious tone, he knew he had no choice. It would be enough to be burdened with Bruce’s scolding, but now he had to hear Dick’s too? One miscalculation and it seemed to be the end of the world with those two. “Alright. I’ll see you at your place. What time do you want me there?”

“After debrief. I just came home from a few errands and need a few hours to snooze.”

“I’ll see you tonight. 9PM work?”

“Yeah.”

This time, he pressed at the red circular button before he _accidentally_ let his foot slip right into Damian’s shin. When the glare was thrown his direction, he innocently looked out the window with a small hint of a smile on his face.

When the vehicle approached the manor, it felt foreign. He hadn’t lived here in months and now he returned to spew out information. The sun’s rays let a tricolored gradient of reds, yellows, and blacks adhere the sky. There was a small ache in his chest as he wondered when Conner would see the same sight, but pushed the thought away. Instead, he compartmentalized his emotions when he exited the vehicle and started to ascend the mountain of stairs before him.

_I’m sorry._

The guilt wanted to creep in, but he knew what he did last night. Instead, his thoughts didn’t dwell much on the fact as he would think about Conner’s question. It had been obvious both of them had romantic feelings for each other and it was a date, but he knew what grief could do. Hell, it happened to both of them.

_Is it even grief?_

A nag soon followed a second after.

_You knew what you were doing. It’s okay. You just have to stop and think about it while trying to solve the case. You owe Conner an answer, at least. Call him and give it to him once you’ve thought about it, but for right now? Send him a message. If these thoughts are racing inside your head, who knows what he must think right now._

There was a light barrier of anxiety that wanted to halt his actions, but his fingers glided across the screen of his phone: **Could I have time to think about it?**

When there was no immediate reply, he placed it aside before he looked towards black shoes but felt himself collide into a hard and firm chest. Slowly, he turned his gaze upwards at Bruce’s. “Hey.” His voice sounded more confident than he meant to portray.

“What happened?”

They were in the middle of a hallway, but he knew this location would be good as any. The nervous wave from earlier smacked him once more as he felt a feathered tightness in his chest. Meanwhile, his voice threatened to close to restrict the oxygen supply. “The incident or everything?”

“ _Everything._ ” His tone was sharp.

“We landed in Smallville without any trouble. We checked into the bed and breakfast. Damian went to see Jon along with Clark. We met at the reception desk. Later, Damian and I went to the Kent farm and into the home after Oracle informed us of Lulu Williams. She was a person of interest. We found a bullet filled with kryptonite. There was another bullet found then Krypto was found in the barn with a suspected bullet wound in the head. The bullets were filled with kryptonite. I informed Superman to take Damian back. I spent time with Conner and left the barn. The next day, we went to her home to interview her, but it was a set up. Damian wanted to leave, but I refused until it was too late. Superman and the Superboys saved us.”

Tim retold it to the best of his ability while he omitted particular details that seemed unnecessary. He knew that Barbara had informed him on what happened and it seemed as if Damian had already, he was checking everything. In a way, it felt like an interrogation, but knew why it was a necessary course of action.

“…”

The silence deafened him, but he stood his ground. Tim didn’t flinch from his spot as Bruce continued to look at him.

“This is a tense situation for anyone, but this doesn’t excuse what you did. If something like this happens again, you’ll be benched and I will take over the investigation.”

Slightly, his eyes widened with shock and as he opened his mouth to protest, the minute change in his expression and hardened look behind his eyes made him stop in his tracks. He almost bit his tongue, but his jaw tightened instead. Tim gave a small quick nod. “Understood.”

When Bruce walked past him, he continued to stare forward until he noticed Alfred come down the hallway with a metallic tray that bore an empty bowl and glass. “Master Timothy. What a pleasant surprised. Will you be staying for a few hours?”

He wanted to answer ‘no,’ but instead gave a light smile and nod. “I don’t mind staying for your almond cookies.”

“Very well.” There was a hint of a smile on his tone as he walked away with the young vigilante following suit. He set the tray down to be dealt with later, “You are just in luck, Master Timothy. I made some this morning and they are cool.” He proceeded to offer a plate with a transparent thick dome at the top.

“You knew I was coming?” Tim raised a brow, slightly amused at the action but thankful nonetheless.

“I may not be the only one who prepares in this household.”

At the sassy remark, he felt as if he wanted to hold his hands up in a defensive posture, but instead he smiled softly, “Thank you.” He took a seat before he opened the dome to gather a cookie between his fingertips.

“Certainly.” Alfred stood there, his actions paused yet professional. “Shall I get you anything else?”

“Are you going to ask me if I’m fine?”

“If you insist, Master Timothy.”

Once more, it took him aback but the smile morphed into an awkward and skewed one, “I’m…” He paused, knowing that it was easy to lie to anyone, but he couldn’t find it in his heart to lie to Alfred. If anything, he reminded him of Mrs. Mac. She was a distant memory now.

“Yes?”

The lone word snapped out of his minor flashback as he turned to look upward. It wasn’t a coincidence that his phone buzzed in his pocket, but as he took it out to see Cassie’s name, he quickly muted it at Alfred’s microexpression. “I don’t know.”

Three words caused a reaction which softened up the elder’s expression.

“Right now… I just want to finish this case. I’m…” He paused, but knew the careful chosen words had to be articulated in a way to not raise red flags. Everyone in the Batfamily seemed to have analyzed each other and what he said, his body gestures, and what he didn’t say told a huge story of what he felt. They were trained and it was hard to tweak it until it was off, mostly when they were on mission. Or at least to Tim.

_It’s why it ended with you and Steph._

“I feel…” He started once more, but found the words, “Sad. I’ll miss Pa… I hope that Ma makes it out, but know that right now my concentration is best focused on what’s in front of me. If Jason had something to do with this, then I want to get justice for them.”

He felt scrutinized at a particular word, but continued on, “Real justice. They took Conner in and gave him a life in Smallville. If we can’t get it for them, then at least answers. I don’t know what will happen and haven’t thought that ahead, but know that I’m not jumping to conclusions.”

It was the best he could get to explain his emotions.

“Enjoy the cookies, Master Timothy.” The tone changed to a warm one as his hand went to softly squeeze at his shoulder. He picked up the abandoned tray and walked away.

For all Tim knew, Bruce could have listened to the entire conversation or acted upon what he wanted. Either way, it felt as if he was slightly scolded as the wall of ice thawed. After taking a soft bite from the cookie, it was a slight euphoric wave that filled the void.

His empty hand reached up to soothe the back of his neck when he rubbed while he continued to eat the cookies until the plate was gone. Tim stood up and reached for the dish, but took note on how it was not his home. He abandoned it before he pulled away to start his trek down to the Batcave.

When he heard rapid clicking and saw red hair, there was a slight relief when he saw Barbara. “Hey.” His voice sounded a bit chipper.

“Hm? Hey.” She smiled back towards him as she pushed at her lenses. “What’s up?”

“Did anything come back?”

“You mean… Krypto…?”

“… Yeah.”

“Well, you were right. There were traces of kryptonite inside of him. As for the bullets… they seem to be what Jason normally uses, but anyone can get them. There’s nothing special. And… as for Conner–”

“He’ll be okay.”

When she turned to give him a particular look, he instantly regretted the decision. She didn’t pry, but knew how Barbara was. Even so, he pushed on and looked around, but noticed a particular algorithm on the screen.

“It’s a new program. And I’m running the other one to try to hear gunshots, but nothing out of the ordinary. It hasn’t started yet.”

“‘It’?”

“Usually around ten or eleven the gunshots start, sometimes nine. There’s nothing so far.”

“And it’s just… five.”

“Yep. Are you trying to kill time?”

“As much as that seems like fun… I may go to my own place to rest for a few hours. I didn’t sleep well last night.” It was the moment he regret to say those words, but if there was a change of expression on Barbara’s face, he had been oblivious even if he stared directly at her.

“That sounds like a good plan. If there’s anything from my end, I’ll keep you updated.”

“Thanks.”

“By the way…”

Tim stopped at the foot of the stairs, but the next words he heard from her made his cheeks turn a brightened crimson.

“You should cover up those hickies.”

* * *

When he opened his eyes, there was a shift under the warm comfortable covers. He glanced over to the clock: **11:22 PM.**

It made his shoulders rise and he felt a soft sigh leave his lips. Every knot he wanted to avoid could be felt in between the muscles, but he knew there was no time to think about it. Tim pushed against the bed before he went to take a quick shower and change into the wardrobe Gotham knew him by: Red Robin.

As time passed, the wind was felt against his cheeks. Quickly, he threw himself off a rooftop to glide against the wind as his arms extended. It felt natural and as close to flying as he could get, but when he started to patrol in his unique areas, he knew that Nightwing may have already been looking for him. Who knew.

Tim slowly perched atop of a building and he slowly knelt to try to gain more rest before he continued on; however when he felt two bodies behind him, he quickly turned. Instinct told him to reach towards the hidden bo staff, but his shoulders relaxed when he registered Wonder Girl’s and Kid Flash’s faces.

“If you picked up your phone, you would have known we were here.” Her arms were crossed in front of her chest as an annoyed expression was plastered on her face.

“We’ve been trying to call you. We kind of got told things by Superboy… is Krypto…?” Bart questioned while his voice had a saddened tone.

“Yeah.”

There was a moment of silence as a third of their expressions turned into sullen ones. It was done in less than a second when Bart embraced both of them into a hug. Cassie and Tim mimicked his action. Every eye glistened with tears that threatened to fall out, but it was Cassie that spoke up first with a broken voice. “This isn’t fair.”

“We’ll get them.” Bart offered.

“We will.” Tim voiced up.

“What do you mean?” She tilted her head slightly.

“I have a lead. I may need you two to help me take him down, but we have to agree that we can’t let our emotions get in the way.”

“Now hold on—” Cassie frowned.

“Deal.” Bart spoke with the both of them without a moment of hesitation.

“Thanks.” Red Robin said in a bittersweet tone. He shook his head before he pulled away from the embrace. “All the evidence seem to point to Red Hood being the culprit, but it… it doesn’t make sense. We’re missing pieces.”

“What kind of pieces?”

“This is almost too easy. It’s almost as if we’re being _lead_ instead of the evidence leading itself.”

“What?” Kid Flash seemed confused, “Oh wait! Flash taught—”

At that instant, a huge noise made Gotham tremble and rumble as the building below them quaked. When they all turned their heads towards what caused the noise, it was a catastrophic event where different color embers that ignored the night sky.

“Kid Flash.” Tim commanded.

“On it.” Next, only a blur of gold electricity took his spot while a mesh of garnet and yellow zoomed past the streets.

“Wonder Girl.” Red Robin held up his hand and held on tight when her palm took a tight grip. He didn’t look down.

After a few minutes, she placed him onto the ground while their gazes didn’t look away from the flames and the smoke that rose.

“First, we—”

“First what?”

It was dramatic, but when a boot stepped out and two firearms were within Red Hood’s grasp with his index fingers on the triggers, the three of them got into a defensive stance.

“What’s wrong, Red Robin? I thought you’d be happy to see me.”


	7. Closer

The atmosphere was thick and tense as three heroes stared down at one antihero. Each one of the three were ready to battle, but they had a silent agreement to let Red Robin lead. This caused him to take a step forward. “Red Hood.”

“Yeah?” His tone wasn’t amused. “This the moment you draw your weapons, we fight, you lose, and we go home?”

It struck a nerve within the leader, but he could see in his peripheral vision Kid Flash’s body change to a slightly aggressive one while Wonder Girl’s hands fingers gripped at the golden lasso. Their message was loud and clear: Yes.

If anything, he was known to mediate, but when he himself was involved and members of who he adored were dead or in critical condition, it was hard to keep the anger on a leash. He tugged hard at his emotions as he spoke, “We don’t have to. We just want you to answer a few questions.”

“Let me make it simple for you. Yes, I burned the building. Now are we done here?”

“Do you have no remorse?!” Finally, her anger seeped out with a hint of misery in her tone. “Hera, please give me strength to not bash his face in.”

“Cute, _princess._ I’m not scared of anyone.”

“Why did you attack Pa and Ma Kent along with—”

“You’re blaming me for shit I had nothing to do with? That’s a new low, even for Batman. Not like that says much.”

“There’s evidence—”

“Yeah, we’re done here.” Jason finally held up his weapons, “I’ll say this once since I respect you, Red Robin. Move the fuck out of my way or I’ll reign down bullets on you three.”

Bart’s face distorted into one of anger and disgust, but his fingers were blurred as they couldn’t stop shaking. It was taking its emotional toll on him.

“3…”

Tim let his bo staff be between his fingers.

“2…”

A flick of his wrist made it extend himself, but he moved to defensive posture. “We don’t have to do this.”

“1.”

Jason didn’t move which confused the three in front of him until a loud whistle resonated in the air. He held up his firearm in his right hand as he bowed his head.

“What’s he—” Kid Flash started but when an arrow hit between his feet that instantly broke open to encapsulate him in ice, it was known who he had signaled.

“Arsenal.” Tim muttered but glanced upwards. When there was an arrow thrown in his direction, his heart stopped a beat inside his chest a moment prior to his hand reached out in front of him to stop it between his fingertips. As soon as the momentum stopped, a spray turned into a gas and a pink hue covered his face. It was hard to breathe as he fell and gasped for air.

“I’ll say this shit once more, clan kiss ass. Move the fuck out of my way.”

Immediately, the lasso flung threw the air and wrapped around its target. Jason was soon thrown to the side without mercy as anger was behind her aquamarine eyes. She nearly barely avoided the arrow but let her lasso control Jason’s movements as he smashed into a brick wall; however, she didn’t move quite quick enough and when the tip of a second arrow made contact with her silver wristband, the catastrophic explosion that soon followed made her let go of the golden lasso and fall meters away.

Meanwhile, Kid Flash was trying to vibrate at enough frequency to cause the ice to quake or have enough heat to melt the ice. “Hey!”

Roy aimed an arrow towards his direction, but when he felt a presence behind him and turned, a black boot knocked him off balance. He instinctively fell backwards from the roof, but he launched an arrow it to safely land onto the ground. In that split time, he didn’t hear the ice shatter, but felt the forceful kick in the back of his spine. Immediately, his bow collapsed but when he turned around, he tried to whip his leg onto Bart’s chest but missed. “I liked the original you better.”

“What? Hey!” Bart protested but a closed fist collided with his jaw.

Jason quickly held up the bow towards Harper, but Tim quickly intervened when he forced the bo staff to let the weapon fly towards a different trajectory. The response was quick when Roy’s hand protruded an arrow and dug it into Red Robin’s shoulder blade which caused a small scream to only fall out of his lips in return. When Red Hood could feel Wonder Girl’s arm around his throat, he quickly flung her over his shoulder with easy right into Kid Flash.

“Stay the fuck down.” Jason ordered while Roy retrieved his bow and pointed an arrow at them.

“We’re not letting you get away from here.” Even with the arrow in his back, he mimicked Roy’s actions and pointed the metallic staff towards them as Cassie pulled out the arrow, he didn't even wince. “Why the hell are you trying to frame Superboy?”

“Your fucking boyfriend?” The anger rose in his tone, “The fuck do I look like to you? A criminal?”

In a matter-of-fact gesture, a gloved thumb pointed in the direction of the arson.

“There was a fucking kid trafficking ring in there a month ago. I finally went in there to burn the place when rumors were that another was about to start again.”

Even though he could feel the presence of Cassie and Bart behind him, there was a pause in his actions. “You’ve been here in Gotham for a month? Underground?”

“No shit.”

“You seriously can’t believe—” Cassie protested.

Jason froze and Tim remained still, but they both knew who had arrived. Four bodies were soon closing in on them.

“… Arsenal. We’re out of here.”

A flicker of his sharp emerald eyes was everything it took before an arrow was thrown in between the five of them. Soon, a flash of light along with smoke could be felt, the radiating heat a mere distraction. Even though Red Robin’s cape went up, he slowly lowered it to reveal Wonder Girl using her body as a shield to protect him from the foreign weapon.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

“Yeah, thanks.” He quickly pulled away but when he saw in Bart’s direction, he was gone.

“Red Robin.” Batman’s fierce tone broke through. “Which direction?”

“I don’t know.” Tim responded, but ignored the narrowing of his father’s eyes behind the cowl when he went into a different direction. A small scowl manifested for a second as he watched Robin follow Batman.

“Like father like son.” Batgirl’s voice filled the air. “I’m guessing he blew up that building?” She pointed while Cassie physically moved away from her.

“Yeah.” Nightwing’s gaze caught Tim’s attention before he forced it into a different direction. Thankfully, Kid Flash had returned. “Anything?”

“Nope! They’re gone. I checked one block every direction.”

“He probably went underground.” Stephanie spoke up.

“Maybe.” Tim answered.

“Oracle here. Did you get him?” Even though she was only in the ears of others, her voice was loud enough for them to hear. It had gone eerily quiet.

“Nah.” Batgirl said, “A certain ex-boy wonder let him get away.” It was a small jab while there was a flicker of a smile upon her lips.

Tim wanted to roll his eyes, but vaguely caught the way Nightwing’s body moved in his peripheral vision. It made his heart quicken, but he could feel the scrutiny or curiosity under Cassie’s gaze. Bart had been oblivious.

“They couldn’t have gotten far.” Tim started, but Dick quickly interrupted to take control of the situation.

“We’ll split up.” Did they just talk in sync? “Batgirl, head south. Kid Flash, go east. Wonder Girl? West. We’ll take the North.”

“Right.” Cassie said as she floated for a brief moment before she flew away.

“On it!” Kid Flash gave a playful salute before he turned into a blur.

Batgirl smiled and casually aimed a grappling hook at a building then she was off into the night. “Don’t have all the fun without us if you find them!”

“Let’s go.” Nightwing said as he started to sprint northbound.

There was a slight hesitation in his step, but Tim followed after him. There was an awkward amount of silence that begun to stretch between them. He was the first to speak up, “I didn’t go to your place because I fell asleep.”

_That sounds like a lie._

“Hm?” Finally, his tone changed into a softer and smoother one. “That’s good. Did you get plenty of rest? I’ve been… busy myself. I was trying to track down a lead to another case and it couldn’t wait.”

It was a vague answer, but with their field, it had been highly plausible. Either way, they both continued to look at their surroundings as they tried to find any particular item or hint that may have been left behind by them.

“Yeah, I did… do you still want to talk after this?” Tim spoke up.

“Yeah… I’d like that.” A small smile was on his lips. “How about my place?”

“That—”

“You left your comm on, Nightwing.” Babs’ voice broke through.

It was enough of an action that made them both pause their movements. Their moment had been ruined for the time being, but Dick knew that Barbara only reminded him to give him privacy if the conversation were to continue. “I’m glad you said something. Do you hear anything on the police scanners? Or do you see anything else arson wise? Maybe if there’s a pattern—”

“No. There’s nothing here from my screen. If he wants to be hidden, he got it. I see everyone else as they’re moving into different directions. Kid Flash seems to be covering most the area.”

“He couldn’t have gotten far. He must be hiding in a building where he was before.” Dick’s eyes narrowed in thought. “It would explain why it seems like he’s gone, but which one… by the time we try to look… he’ll have been gone and all this time would be wasted.”

“Robin and I will keep looking.” Batman’s voice sounded a moment after. “Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Red Robin... go home. We don’t need Vicki Vale to see that we have heroes from San Francisco here.”

“I’ll let him know. I’m heading home for the night, but keep me updated if anything happens.”

“Will do.” Oracle’s voice chipped.

After the words had been spoken, two fingertips which were black and blue pressed at the button to turn it off. “Let’s go back to your team.”

“Sure.” Red Robin answered and started to follow his adoptive brother back to the spot where they had originally encountered the other two. “Di—Nightwing…”

“Yeah?”

“…” Conner came to his mind, but there was no words that came out of his mouth. If anything, he would bring it up later. There was a shake of his head, but when he saw the others back to the spot they were left at, he pushed the thoughts and emotions aside. “Anything?”

“No.” Cassie shook her head.

“Nothing.” Bart had a small frown. “Maybe—”

However, before he could start his rambling, Tim interjected. “Hold on a minute. You two should go rest. We’re done for the night.”

“What? Why?” She frowned.

“There’s a reporter named Vicki Vale here in Gotham that almost uncovered my identity and everyone else’s. If we give her a reason to start investigating again, then it’s a problem. Wonder Girl and Kid Flash from San Francisco in Gotham, it’s not good news.”

“It is for her.” Bart quickly said.

Tim ignored the comment and looked at Cassie. “We’ll start tomorrow morning. We’ll have more info then and we can go from there. Even if Batman somehow manages to find him, it might take a while.”

There was a soft displeased look on Wonder Girl’s face, but she gave a small nod and gave in. “Okay.” Her shoulders slightly slumped in defeat. “Let’s go, Kid Flash. Red Robin will contact us when he has anything.” It was a stern tone that almost sounded like a command. She floated up a couple inches from the ground then flew into a different direction while electrical colored sparks of yellows and reds were down below.

“Come on.” Nightwing’s voice sounded soft and gentle. He then started to make his way atop of a building to make it towards their next destination.

Every action that his older brother did, he tried to mimic. Even if he didn’t have the same grace, he had enough skill to get by. When he could, he admired how the other had looked. The fluid movement caught his attention enough for his heart to leap towards his throat. The flashbacks of the night on his couch entered his mind, but before he could dwell on them, it was over.

“We’re here.” Dick said as he snuck into his own apartment, careful to check their surroundings to avoid any prying eyes. He used the shadows and blind points he knew too well to his advantage when he snuck into an open window.

There wasn’t without a doubt that Tim wouldn’t follow his lead, but he did pay attention to the certain patterns he had. He wasn’t sure why, but he knew he may need it for future reference. Once inside, he could feel arms being wrapped around his figure into a warm embrace. A moment of silence was all it took before he gently wrapped them back. “Hey…” Tim whispered softly.

“How are you?”

“I’m fine.” After the answer was spoken, he knew even after the particular answer was given, it wouldn’t be believed.

“Wanna tell me what happened?”

The words were parroted from the interaction he had with Bruce. As he continued on, his black fingertips came up to gently fiddle with the black hairs at the nape of his neck. Slowly, his words started to turn into a whisper as his muscles started to relax into the embrace. It was a magnetic attraction he couldn’t explain, but he leaned into it. He turned his head and closed his eyes, their noses softly staying side by side as the radiated warmness from both brought his heart aflutter.

Every word he had spoken and their meanings had diminished. Both of his arms softly tightened as he took another step toward into him. When the arms had wrapped around him tighter and lips turned to meet his own, Tim didn’t hesitate when he lightly pressed back.

It felt natural enough that it brought a rare smile onto his lips even with the chaos that he had witnessed up to this point. One kiss turned into two and then multiple pecks, but they each held love and tenderness to them. After one last kiss, he could feel a wet tongue against his bottom lip. Tim turned his head to the side and explored Dick’s mouth. He wasn’t sure which of them had expressed a soft moan.

Red Robin pushed his body off the ground with a leap and managed to keep their mouths connected, but soon his legs wrapped around Nightwing’s waist. A pair of arms held him with great support.

“Tim…” It was a shy heated whisper.

“Dick…” There was a heat that mirrored him, too.

When Dick moved back onto the couch, he took a seat, but kept his arms around him. Tim did the same and tried to be close to him as physically possible. They were away from the windows and the apartment was obscured in darkness. Tim shifted slightly to move into Dick’s neck as his muscles completely relaxed.

No words were spoken when a hand with two cerulean fingertips started to stroke his back. It seemed as if each had an unspoken language that was gradually synced over the time they had known each other. Now, both of Tim’s hands softly smoothed themselves over the Nightwing insignia. It was too early to speak, but as time lingered on, it felt right to at least say a few words.

“We slept together.” The three words had caught both of them off guard.

“What?”

“Conner and I slept together.”

“Oh…” Was it shock intertwined within his tone?

“Yeah.”

“Are you two…?”

“No.”

The next moment of silence seemed to have stretched which caused slight tension in the air.

“He asked me out and I told him I’d think about it.”

“What answer are you leaning towards?”

“I don’t know.”

It became clear the atmosphere turned thicker, but when Dick’s hands moved towards his hips, Tim felt his heart jolt in his chest. Two thumbs started to make circular motions in a way to comfort. “I guess I should have asked you out before you left.” A solace tone resonated.

Behind the cowl that mimicked Dr. Mid-Nite’s, two eyes slightly widened. “You…?”

“Yeah.” A tiny grin manifested itself. “It’s still on the table if—” His words were abruptly cut off with a kiss.

Electrical sparks bloomed with the lone action and the flood gates had opened. In that instant, the tension in the atmosphere had disappeared and their kisses started to have more passion behind them. Two hands roamed on Tim’s back and lowered themselves, past the utility belt, and onto his butt. They each groped and squeezed and when he separated them, he got a satisfying moan.

“Nightwing…” His voice was sensually breathless.

“Mm… Red Robin…” The next movement had a swift motion as he gathered his younger brother in his arms and gently laid him onto his back on the couch.

“Never thought I’d see the day where you moved on from redheads, Grayson.” Jason’s voice interrupted. “Poor Babs. Does she even know about this?”

When the pair looked over at Roy standing next to him with his arrow loaded and aimed, they didn’t hesitate to take out a disc and wingding.


	8. Flow

“I came by to let you know someone’s framing me and I have nothing to do with the shit that happened in Smallville.” Red Hood’s voice sounded minutely aggressive.

“We’ve been here in Gotham for a month and haven’t left. Do you want fast food receipts? CCTV footage? We’ve been hiding in plain sight. We know emotions are high with the death of Pa Kent, but this doesn’t mean you have to come and harass us for a crime we didn’t do.” Roy’s serious tone echoed throughout the darkness, but his grip on the weapon didn’t falter.

“The message was clear. The one you left in her home. ‘Good job, Replacement.’” Tim narrowed his eyes with a glare but didn’t move from the spot.

“The fuck are you talking about? Whose home?”

“Lulu Williams.”

“I don’t know who she is.”

“I’ll get Oracle to see if she can place you. Where were you yesterday?” Dick spoke.

“I need a time, dingus.”

“Approximately eleven in the morning.” Tim answered.

“We were at a café. It’s the one next to the Sundollar downtown.” Roy added.

Cautiously, Dick’s fingers went to his ear to touch the comm piece. “Oracle.”

“Yep?”

“I need you to pull up CCTV footage from yesterday around the time of the murder of Lulu Williams, but I need it from Gotham. Sundollar downtown… there’s a café there named…”

“Nest Café.”

“… Nest Café.” There hadn’t been amusement in his tone, only slight irritation.

“Just give me a moment. Is everything okay?” Oracle’s distorted voice sounded in his ear as her fingertips made clicking noises as she brought up a couple things.

“Yeah. Just _fine._ ”

“… I got it.” Babs spoke while the footage came up. “Oh. Now I _really_ do get it. Yes, Jason and Roy seem to have been undercover. Seems like Roy’s waving at the camera and Jason smacked him to stop. Is this everything you need?”

“No.” His muscles started to strain at the awkward position he was in. “I need another time checked. If you have the approximate time of the assault on the Kents. It was around three days ago, but I need a time.”

“When that happened, it was around… 6 P.M. for us.”

“6 P.M.”

There was a moment of silence as Roy tried to recall the specific event. “Bar and grill. Outskirts of Gotham. _My Alibi_ is the name.”

“ _My Alibi._ ”

There were noises of a few keys clicking and a pause of movement. “They’re around those parts. The last camera that is on a business near the outskirts of Gotham shows them driving out of town. Jason’s outfit looks ridiculous, by the way.”

“Thanks. I have to go.”

“He’s there, isn’t he?”

Dick didn’t answer her with words, but instead he shut the comm off. “It checks out.”

“We still don’t know if it does. Someone was watching us. They left Krypto behind for a reason.”

“Whoa.” Jason interrupted. “What do you mean they left Krypto?”

“He’s dead.” Tim seemed confused at the question.

“K…” His voice seemed to have died out when the realization hit him.

“You didn’t know.” Their eldest brother spoke up.

“He loves dogs. Do you still think it’s us?” The archer interjected.

“No.” Finally, Dick spoke with confidence. “Put down your bow and arrow and we’ll put down our weapons.”

“Jaybird?”

“Yeah, do it.”

Without another moment to hesitate, Roy placed the bow down and retreated the arrow to place back onto his quiver. Meanwhile, Dick cautiously put away his wingding and Tim did the same with the disc. When Dick got off of him and stood up, Tim did the same, but thought about every piece of evidence that had been presented towards that point.

“If it wasn’t you, then it’s someone who knows you call me ‘Replacement.’”

“Other than our damn family? I don’t see who else would.”

It was a new piece of the puzzle as he tried to recall where the name had mentioned. “Unless if there was a breech in security?”

“Oracle would have informed us all. She’s good.” Dick said.

“You fuckers always find a way to drag me back into the life. What do you know so far?”

“Nobody’s doing anything to you, Jason.”

“This shit involves me now, Dickwad. I’m not letting someone out there taint my name. Batman already has a fucking target on my back and with my operations, I don’t need more shit to add onto it.”

It was frustrating to hear Red Hood continue to talk that Nightwing let out a soft sigh and he tried to rub at his eyes behind the domino mask.

“We know the MO matches with your past patterns. Crowbar and bullets, but they’re filled with kryptonite. There were a few cases here that we need to investigate, but they seem to have the same elements. As far as I know, the ‘Replacement’ was only used once.”

“Then it wasn’t Superman being targeted…” Tim mumbled, “It was you and me. You’re being framed and all of this is bait.” He shook his head, his hand turned into a fist as rage sparked within. “Who would use both of us as a sick and twisted game?”

“Someone that doesn’t know me well enough that I’m a dog lover.” Jason added. “Is there any small mistake that you could think of?”

Tim shook his head. “No. It just means this was carefully calculated.” He shifted against the arm of the sofa. “We know they had to be in two places at once. While the murder was happening in Smallville, someone else was here. It must be at least a team of at least two people.”

“At least two people who hold grudges against the Red Hood and Red Robin or Jason Todd and Tim Drake or a combination of those four names?”

“They knew who they were as civies. I’m guessing… Tim and Jason.” It felt odd when he talked to himself in the third person.

“It’s Gotham centered.” Dick chimed in. “The murders lured you away, but they brought you back here. There has to be a reason for that. Maybe it was because…”

“You all need more evidence.” Roy finally spoke up. “They’re toying with all of you. It may be that Jaybird and Tim get hit the hardest aside from the Supes, but look at you all. They didn’t even know Jaybird enough to think that he may come to get answers on his own.”

“Unless if they’re expecting it.” Tim said.

“There’s that, but right now it’s all speculation. Hell, Clark and Conner could have been pawns in this whole thing. Their family may have been to get your specific attention. There’s a puppet master behind all this.”

“If Roy’s right, then who do you two have in common that dislike you both?” Dick asked.

“There’s only a few people who know I’m alive… much less know the connection to Tim.”

“Someone who knows we’re adopted brothers, then.”

“That leaves…” Jason tried to think of the possibility of names, but only two immediately came to mind. “Joker or Ra’s al Ghul.”

“This doesn’t seem like Joker’s MO, but I wouldn’t put it past him if he’s trying something new.” Tim said.

“My money is on the second.” Roy chipped in.

“If it’s Ra’s, then how the hell are we supposed to track him?” It was a question that didn’t go unnoticed by a particular word of ‘we.’

“Do you want to work with us?” Red Robin gave Red Hood a soft skeptical look, but wanted to confirm that’s what he had meant.

“If it’s Ra’s, you won’t stand a chance.”

“He has me at his side.” Dick interrupted.

“You mean he has you on top.” Jason retorted.

It brought a ruby pigment to Tim’s cheeks. “Knock it off.”

“Does the family know or this part of the kink? Hiding it from everyone?”

“Jason.”

“We’re not official.”

“Ah… fuck buddies. Really, Grayson? Women finally stopped falling for your charm or…?”

A small frown formed on the eldest face.

“Out of everyone, you had to pick our brother?”

“It’s none of your business what we do, Jason.” Tim finally spoke up.

“Let me guess… Bruce doesn’t know.” The middle sibling said, but when he saw their microexpressions for a second, his eyes widened with shock, “Shit. He doesn’t.”

“Nobody knows except us four.”

“Fucking hell…” It sounded as if he could barely breathe.

Everyone remained silent for a long period of time before it started to stretch into uncomfortableness. Roy was the first to begin to shift as his feet couldn’t stay still. It all took their toll on them, but eventually, Jason was the one that spoke up once more.

“Give us a few hours and we’ll scout the underground. And _we’re_ only working together. No fucking Bat, no Robin, none of that shit. Do you get it?”

“We get it.” Dick answered.

At that point in time, Jason threw a flip phone towards their direction, which Grayson immediately caught between two fingertips. “You’re welcome. C’mon, Arsenal. Let’s let these two love birds continue their fuck fest. By the way, it’s a burner. Don’t try to track. I’ll stay in touch.”

It was the last words spoken between the four before Jason immediately left with Roy behind his tail. The atmosphere relaxed as muscles mimicked the same action. Slowly, Tim’s body relaxed as a soft sigh escaped him. He turned and pressed a soft kiss onto Dick’s.

“He’s right…” The whisper sounded soft, but held comfort. The kiss wasn’t returned.

“Dick…”

“This was careless.”

“Dick.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t… They doesn’t know and—”

The doubt that manifested was replaced with their lips meeting once more. Soon, Red Robin’s legs wrapped around Nightwing’s waist as he ushered him to pull him closer. When the small moan came from his brother, Tim pressed their hips together as black fingertips entangled themselves in black hair. “ _Dick…_ ”

“Mm… Tim… Yeah, okay…” It was a tone that sounded breathless with need while their tongues danced.

Every kiss that was returned was full of love and admiration. Soon, the synchronicity harmony between their bodies held the same amount of emotions.

There were no other words uttered as a pair of hands with four cerulean fingertips felt around the torso beneath. Two dark fingers pinched as the suit lowered to expose at the tender flesh beneath. “Tim…”

“ _Don’t stop._ ” It was a breathless need that manifested itself into a command. “Mm… ah!” A whine escaped between his lips while warm kisses were placed onto his chest.

His brother’s damp tongue teased at the small pink nub. Meanwhile, one hand sneaked into the suit to throw onto the floor the jockstrap onto the floor. Every kiss felt euphoric as their core body temperatures rose.

When a mouth engulfed one of Tim’s most sensitive areas, it was an emotion he couldn’t quite comprehend. Inside of his chest, his cardiac organ wanted to burst, but his back immediately arched. Every fingertip tightened around the dark locks of hair. “Dick…!” It was a groan that escaped his lips as he even pushed his head back. “Ah… I can’t…” Tim wasn’t even sure what he was saying. His body had been at an uncomfortable angle, but the pain started to mix in with the pleasure he was felt. It intensified the euphoria that was felt.

Each slurp he could hear from down below made him whine and whimper with pleasure. Every breath he exhaled was hot as his core temperature continued to rise. Now, his eyes were half-lidded and glossed over. “Dick…” In a tone that pleaded, he begged with the single word.

When his brother shifted with movement, Tim’s eyes were closed as his mouth was agape. There was a trail of saliva that glittered from the corner of his mouth as it made a thin river down his cheek. Tim slightly shifted, but when he felt the heat from down below expand and stretch him, his body immediately tensed with pleasure. His nails dug into anything they could sink into. A gasp when the presence of Dick loomed over his body. He could feel each arm entrap him.

“Wrap your legs around me.” It was a husky command from above.

Tim did as he was told as both of his legs shook from the pleasure. He entangled them around his waist as there was a soft moan from his lips. It was quickly quieted when a mouth wrapped around his and he could feel their tongues intertwine. It was a muffled moan now, but when his hands were pinned against the couch, he could feel breathless.

It was almost like their night many days ago.

His cheeks were flushed, but he couldn’t stop each moan. Tim could feel Dick’s groans in his mouth as their bodies moved with harmony. When Dick pulled away, it was when the younger sibling moved to expose his neck. When teeth started to suck and prod, it was the moans that increased in volume. “Dick…!”

There was no response other than the body from above pushed in deeper which made a whine manifest from his lips. “Ah…! Dick!” Tim felt himself tighten around him as his legs tightened their grip. It was hard to think with all of the pleasure of being bound down. “I’m… ah…”

“Mm Tim… Tim…” A quick swift was made when a hand went under Tim’s lower back and picked him up easily. It was then when he started working towards the bedroom.

Tim’s breath hitched as he let out a moan and threw his head back at how deeper his brother got inside of him.

_It’s like our first time._

When the mattress hit his back, Tim let out a soft sigh, but it was quickly replaced when his body was tense with pleasure. The speed at what Dick was thrusting became erratic and it was a desperate whimper that escaped his lips. When his hands were pinned down once again, his throat let out the loudest groan. “Dick…!”

When he got free from the bounds, his fingernails dug into the back of his older brother and they moved downward. Scratch marks manifested as red trails seconds later. The single grunt of pleasure from above told him everything he needed to know to continue the same actions. Tim turned his head, hot breath and whines of pleasure continued to escape. The euphoric feeling of it all started to rise as he could feel his own orgasm approaching. “I’m close…”

“I’m close too.” Dick’s voice was husky and sensual. His own lips pressed kisses onto the pale neck underneath him until his teeth sunk in to make a bite. The pleasurable yell he got from the body below along with the squirming he felt, he couldn’t help but push his hips in more until the cry underneath turned louder. “That’s it…”

It was an amazing sight to see his younger sibling with a face he couldn’t believe he’d see a second time. The sweet his yells sounded and the pleasure he got as he heard the words escape. His fingers clenched, his nails trying to get as much support as it could as his body rocked. “Dick…!”

A grunt from above set him over the edge as he could feel the pleasure build up, his body had a massive wave of euphoria as he arched and he gave into his orgasm. “Dick!” It was a whine that made him call out his name, his heated breath into the midnight air.

Another whine soon followed as he could feel his brother fill him with warmth. He continued to pant, but it was broken off when warm, wet, and sloppy kisses were placed upon his neck. It made him moan as he arched his back, his fingernails moved to a new target as they intertwined within his black locks. “Fuck…”

“Mmm… again?” It was a tone that held a tease but seriousness to it. Each kiss continued to be placed upon his neck, the atmosphere now changed to an emotion that couldn’t be described as both of their hearts were aflutter.

A soft breathless laugh escaped Tim’s lips, but he held his body closer. The murmur that came next was one filled with exhaustion, “Not tonight.” However, when he heard himself, he thought about the words that he had spoken.

“Does this mean…?” Dick’s question lingered in the air.

Tim could hear his own heartbeat beating next to his eardrums. “I don’t know.”

“Tim.”

“I know…” _I hate it when you use that tone with me._ “I’ll think on it, I promise.”

When there was no response, Tim shifted and pressed his lips against Dick’s softly. “I promise.” It was a whisper in darkness, but when arms wrapped around him and engulfed him in warmth, he could feel the warmness from his cardiac organ in his chest slowly radiate.

“Okay.” A soft whisper was given back.

The rest of the night felt as if it had been part of a dream. He had no idea how they had moved from the couch to the bedroom. If anything, his mind wanted to wander, but it stayed in the room. Within his chest, his heart skipped a beat as he held out a soft sigh. When a hand ran through his hair, Tim made a soft sound and cuddled closer to the warmth.

“Hey…” It was a soft murmur as he wanted to drift off to sleep.

“Yeah?”

“I don’t know.” Tim felt safe when he could hear Dick’s voice in the pure darkness. It made him relax more into his embrace.

“Haha, okay.”

The soft chuckle went directly towards his heart as butterflies were confined in the cardiac cage for a moment. When his chin was tilted and his warm lips met his own, a soft noise of pleasure left his mouth. Tim leaned into it as his mind continued to drift off.

Before he knew it, the darkness engulfed him.

Both of them slept well that night.


	9. Business

The underground connections provided a good source of information through the grape vine. Whether that information had been planted long before they had arrived was another question, but for now, Roy and Jason had the information they needed. The man they sought for was in town and even if they both had methods to extract the information, it was Roy who tried to contain his best friend back. In a sick and twisted way, it was the “bad cop, good cop” scenario.

Unbeknownst to them, there was a third individual in the playing field. A feline-like woman that seemed as if she was from the tale _Alice in Wonderland_. A blade sliced through the air until the weapon harshly dug into a wooden crate. A few millimeters towards the left and she would have hit the archer.

Roy didn’t seem phased, but he did frown at the woman who now stood centimeters away from his face, “Cheshire.”

“So you do remember me…” Her tone was sultry and sensual, her hand carefully snaked up a thigh.

“Sexual harassment. That’s a new one.” Jason’s voice echoed from behind.

Cheshire frowned, but kept the close proximity of the distance. “You’re not supposed to be around these parts, Arsenal. That goes for your dramatic hooded friend as well.” Now, her voice sounded as if it was enlaced with venom. There was no amusement in her features.

“Well… I was in the neighborhood…” Roy tried to joke even though he knew the severity of the situation. His lips formed upwards into a grin.

“What do you _want?_ ”

Now, the jovial expression dropped. “I want you to get your hand off my thigh first, then I want to discuss someone we both might have in common to take down.”

Cheshire’s eyes narrowed, the piercing green emeralds contemplating the situation, but her hand was ultimately pulled away. She remained silent.

“We hear that the League of Assassins is trying to operate something.” Roy spoke, knowing that Jason was only there as back-up. It still felt odd given that the time when he was in the Titans, he only followed Dick’s orders.

“And what do I get in return?”

The archer was almost sure he could _feel_ the eye roll from under the Red Hood, but Roy had an answer ready. “That depends.”

“Oh?” It was a flirtatious tone, but she leaned in close towards his face.

Roy didn’t flinch, but stood his ground. He couldn’t help the small smile in return, “I owe you, but let’s count sex out.”

Cheshire remained quiet, the mask didn’t express any type of emotion. After what seemed like silence, there was a soft nod. “Very well… but _you_ and only _you._ I don’t care about your friend.” Once more, she pulled away. “Now… what do you want, again?”

It felt as if it was too easy to bribe, but there was no notion in or indication of whether she could be trusted or not, but the archer spoke, “We need to know where the head of the demon is.”

“That’s a heavy ask, Roy.” The name slightly rolled off her tongue, but she considered the verbal deal that had just transpired. “Very well… I can try to find out, but I don’t guarantee anything.”

“And why’s that?” Jason spoke up.

“As much as I’d _love_ to double cross the League… usually that type of intel is kept hush hushed.”

“Then send him a message up the vine.” Jason retorted.

“What?”

“If we can’t get to him… he and I decide. Tell him the Red Hood’s in town and heard he was talking shit. I want a meeting.”

Cheshire stood, but shook her head at the attitude of the other, “Fine.” She waved a hand. “And if he does deliver a message? I don’t think I’ll be the one to—”

“He’ll accept it.” His words radiated confidence.

A noise came from behind the mask, but she was quick to disappear into the shadows.

“You got a plan, Red Hood?”

“Yeah… but Nightwing won’t like it.”

* * *

The sun started over the horizon which shined the brightness. As it got higher in the sky, it slid through the crack of the window. Two curtains were apart to let it inside, but as his eyes shut tightly, he shifted slightly. Tim made a soft noise, but when he felt soft lips upon his, he weakly returned the gesture.

“I have to go to work.”

“M… okay.” It was a lazy move, but he turned onto his side to keep away from the light. Except, Tim didn’t think of Dick’s finger that sensually ran down his spine. It sent a shudder through him and as it lowered, his cheeks turned red. “Go to work!”

A soft and playful laugh was heard before footsteps retreated.

It was a relaxed sigh, but when his phone buzzed, he hadn’t expected the text message from Lucius that inquired where his whereabouts where since a meeting that had been scheduled months prior was set.

Instantly, the knots to rise up. As he withstood, he could feel the soreness and stickiness from the fluid. It rose a red blush to his cheeks, but the frown on his features expressed the annoyance to continue. As he went to take a quick shower and put on the Red Robin suit, his exit was throughout Dick’s window.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem as if there was much distance to cover. The only thing he would have to do would be try to get through security while going towards his office. It sounded simple, but Wayne Enterprises would be hard to get in. Each step was calculated in the best way possible as each variable was against him. It was a minute to spare as he fixed the collar of the suit.

When he opened the door, Tim almost took a step out, but stopped at Lucius’ body. It was a jolt of fear that made his shoulders rise up once more.

“Mr. Wayne. I would advise you fix your tie. Now, we have a meeting that would explain a few financial issues with the Neon Knights program. It’s a discussion about how you’d like to move forward with it.”

“Yes,” Tim said, “I remember.” Hastily, he desperately tried to fix the tie. Once Lucius walked away, he closed the door. It felt off, but once he finished to adjust it, he entered a conference room. Tim pulled out the chair and took a seat, the folder already provided enough information. “Good morning.” There was a charm to his tone as well as fake smile that seemed genuine.

“Good morning, Mr. Wayne.” It was a female voice with blonde hair. “I see you’d like to expand the program to metahumans. How are you going to try to do this for the public? You know there is a fine line with heroes, metas, and civilians.”

“They’re not that different from us, Ms. Pearson.” Once he let the open be open, he glanced down at the contents. The flashbacks of the Robin days with Young Justice as well as Red Robin days with the Titans had poured out in his facial expression.

“Then how do you suggest we tell that public that?”

“We should try to show humanity and compassion. We should be the leaders.” Tim started as he took out the paperwork. Once he was finished, he neatly stacked it upon the desk with his fingers intertwined into one another. It was a serious look on his expression, “Gotham is notorious for having mentally ill—”

“Crazy—”

“ _Mentally ill_ for causing chaos.”

“Except the Joker.”

“We’re getting off topic here, Ms. Pearson.” Tim said, but once he was met with silence, he continued. Every word that poured out of his lips came from the heart, “Anyway, the Wayne Foundation has known to have many charities. Metropolis is known for Superman. He’s the symbol of hope. Now, while the Batman isn’t a symbol of hope but pure fear and protection, I want to make the program a symbol of hope of sorts.”

“What, are you going to hire Superman?” A man snorted which caused a chuckle from the rest of the members.

“I may have a connection or two if our PR representative thinks that’s a good idea. He’s one of the most trusted heroes on Earth.”

“You can’t be serious.” The female voice protested. “This is absurd. Children and teenagers are different from metahumans. They can’t control their powers and you expect us to try to do it with, what, exactly?”

“STAR Labs.” Tim spoke, “Ms. Pearson. I didn’t come unprepared for this.”

“This is a joke.” The man in the back mumbled.

It felt hard to persuade each individual over, but as his back straightened, he ignored the soreness and concentrated on how to sell them. “It’s hard, but I can get into contact with them and—”

“Mr. Wayne. We know that your father is the owner of this company, but this isn’t child’s play. This is serious business. We have done everything in our power to try to contribute to your Neon Knights program, but this is another step in another direction.”

It took everything in his power to compartmentalize the emotions as he was slowly losing the control in the room. “Yes, I’m sure Mr. Wayne himself would like to hear about how his top associates treats his son in a business meeting. Like a _child._ ” The words were coated in spite and anger, but detailed and calculated enough to do the right damage.

The silence in the room was almost deafening, but it got the message across. Tim hated to use that type of power, but there was a time and place. Currently, he still had to prove his worth to the company and even though Neon Knights was successful in Hong Kong among other places, it didn’t mean anything. In business, if you try to expand too fast and fall on your face, then the credibility is lost. Tim was sure that the moment that this type of step would be implemented and watched rather closely as one of the heirs of the Wayne legacy as well as a teenage boy who would either pass or fail the test of real life business.

“Now,” Tim started, “Allow me to continue unless if you wish to continue your childish antics, but I do have a public speech to get to. Now… as I was saying…” Tim’s voice trailed off, “When we include these people and hopefully make a deal with STAR Labs, we can both host fundraisers and fund research into seeing how appropriate it is to try to keep their powers under control.”

It felt weird, but he knew how the media could portray this, “We can try to see if the Justice League or any other hero could try to test the facility first or send someone. I’m going to _personally_ see this issue. I don’t want anything to go wrong with our first opening.”

“Do you know how much it’ll cost to try to get all the equipment? There are a lot of powers out there, Mr. Wayne.”

_You don’t know the data the Batcomputer has, Ms. Pearson._

“No, but I’ll have an estimate. I’d like more time to give you the specific number and another course of action. After this meeting, I plan to give a speech to the public of what we plan to do.”

“Don’t you think it’s too soon?”

“No. There is a facility or two that are almost complete, but we need approval from STAR Labs to see if it’s appropriate to handle metas. In the meantime, we’ll treat them like normal civilians. We’ll give them shelter, food, water, and coping exercises that we do to normal teens.”

“And if there will be a lot of meta teenagers who want to?”

“I doubt it. They’re cautious, Ms. Pearson. Even though Wayne Enterprises have good intentions, not every metahuman teenager will want to stay at a place where it seems like a type of imprisonment.”

“… You’re not going to let them leave?”

“I haven’t worked out all the details.” Tim felt conflicted about the request. He had seen in the past how, “But I don’t see why we should keep them under the facility by force. We’re supposed to be a safe haven and not a prison.”

It surprised him that the specific word had been used, but thankfully another question was not asked before his mind wandered to Conner. When he saw each of their faces and glance at the paperwork, there was a nervousness that over washed him. Each fingertip felt as if it was coated with sweat. The urge to tap his foot against the floor was prominent in the front of his mind, but he decided against it.

“I can see you placed much detail beforehand, Mr. Wayne, but I do want more details. This isn’t a good start, but even if we had said no, what would you have done?”

“Those resources are still part of the Neon Knights program. They won’t go to waste. Now, how about I send the mail and see what STAR Labs would like to do with us?”

“We’ll have a vote.” Ms. Pearson started, “Everyone who wishes to do this program to make a step forward, raise your hand. If not, then we will close it. It was bold of you to assume that you would get the ‘yes’ from us, Mr. Wayne.”

“It’s the right thing to do and I know everyone here will make the right choice with the numbers projected.” Tim said, but it was a flaw. He had moved too fast and knew that it was up to chance at the moment. He had gotten cocky and emotional, but there was no turning back.

When a member started to raise his hand, it was just one of many individuals. As everyone carefully thought of their decision on how to move the company forward. Tim’s nervousness was justified as he had forgotten to e-mail STAR Labs or ask Dick to talk to Wally or Barry. Even he could have asked Bart to pass on the message.

When the last person raised her hand to cause the majority vote, there was a wave of relief that washed over him. A soft breath escaped through his lips, but the knots on his shoulder made themselves known once more as the verdict was declared.

“You have one shot, Mr. Wayne. I can see that you’re trying very hard and you even have qualities of your father. Now, you’re going to fly off on your own, but understand one thing.”

Each eye slightly narrowed with confusion, but he heard Ms. Pearson anyway.

She stood from her chair as the dark purple dress glistened. “If this fails for whatever reason, we pull the plug and resources and we _will_ never visit this topic again. Do you understand? Time is money, Mr. Wayne.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Tim mimicked her motion and stood up, his hand extended towards her in a greeting. “I look forward for you to keep me on track as well as we work together for it.”

The smile from her was everything he needed to know to continue forward.

“Good luck with your press conference. Don’t disappoint.”

“I wouldn’t ever dream of it.”

Once Ms. Pearson left the room along with the other men and women in the meeting, he gathered up the paperwork he had and walked out. Once they each turned the corner, he ran towards his office. It was lucky that nobody saw him, but once there, he started to dress into another suit completely. The Red Robin insignia showed below.

“Vicki Vale better be impressed by this stupid thing,” Tim childishly muttered beneath his breath. It wasn’t until a humanoid figure was caught in his peripheral vision that he stopped the motions of unbuckling his belt. It was immediate that his face turned red, but thankfully the Red Robin insignia was pointed towards another direction.

It felt as if it was a moment of pause as each of their eyes met, her blue eyes widened as her cheeks were red, lips slightly agape. Tim felt frozen in place, but quickly ran over to shut the blinds. His heart raced, he sighed as he pressed the palm against of his forehead. “I’m either getting summoned by HR or becoming the laughing joke for the day. Steph’s going to kill me.”

The thought was something else, but as he struggled with the clothing. “Dammit.” The CEO paused and sighed, but took a deep breath. It was then that he took it off and started to place on the custom suit he had gathered for this special occasion. Each fingertip of his adjusted the strands of hair and the tie before he left his office. Thankfully, the one who saw him wasn’t there.

Once outside, he stepped into the public as each camera flash tried to blind him, but the exposure he had gotten used to from the first day he had gotten adopted. Now, both of his hands gripped at the side of the podium. The chatter among the crowd was there, but when his eyes locked with Vicki, there was a need to be absolutely perfect. She was good at her job and he knew how Lois Lane was. They both seemed to have the similar qualities of professionalism.

“Thank you for coming all,” the teen started, but was interrupted by an arrow that aimed directly at the sky. It made a loud firework as a distraction and before Tim knew it, he felt a strong arm grip around his neck. It was a metallic gun that was pressed against his temple.

“Give me the Head of the Demon!” Red Hood yelled in a threatening manner, “Or Tim Wayne dies!”

The chaos and panic was normal, but the youngest brother could only mutter beneath his breath, “ _Really?_ ”


End file.
